Home is Where the Heart Lives
by neila cross
Summary: After a fateful sibling reunion, can a family torn by heart and distance, or be united once again if they meet halfway through? Will pride and denial stand in their way?
1. Chapter 1

**Home Is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter I**

"Savannah, we are going to be late!"

Troy Bolton called to his daughter from the first floor of their home in Los Angeles. It was the annual Bolton Thanksgiving dinner and he was flying in from Los Angeles three days before so that he could be with his family a bit longer. He could hear his daughter stomping around the room so he went up and knocked on her door.

"Honey, what is taking you so long?" he questioned. Through the wood came a terse reply.

"Dad, I don't know what to wear!" Troy chuckled to himself, typical of his teenage daughter.

"You have a wardrobe of the most fashionable designer clothes you buy with your father's hard earned money, how can you not know what to wear?" he asked and he heard her snort in reply.

"It's not working Dad. A girl's _always _got to look her best." Savannah cried exasperatedly. Troy could just imagine his daughter rolling her eyes at him through the door while rummaging her closet looking for something that would suit her fancy.

"Well honey, not always. What if the house catches fire and you have to get out now?" he said.

"Then I'll run out after putting on the first dress I see!" she cried and Troy sighed.

"Why a dress?" he questioned as he leaned against the frame of the door, it may take a while.

"Well Dad, it's easier to put on – wait, why are you so excited to leave already?" she asked.

"The plane will not wait for us, honey." Troy said and played with his keys.

"_Oh my God_! My father's plane, piloted by a good friend of his, will not wait for him?! I mean after all, my father is _the _Troy Bolton! Used to be star player and now coach of the Lakers?! This is news." Savannah said in an exaggeratedly shocked voice. Troy laughed and knocked once more on her door.

"Listen honey, your Uncle Abe's itching to fly my new toy. Let's give him a chance…" he pleaded with his daughter and heard her sniffle within.

"How about me Daddy, why can't you give me a chance?" he heard her voice cracking.

"A chance to what?" he asked flatly, unmoved. He knew the trick his daughter was pulling and he wasn't going to fall for her little drama queen act.

"To get dressed that would kill!" she suddenly cried to the door. Troy looked surprised.

"Who would you want to kill?" he exclaimed standing directly in front of her door.

The door burst open and out came a young woman who looked to be fifteen. She had long blonde locks that framed her beautiful face that was scrunched up in an annoyed manner. Her brown eyes were gleaming with mischievousness as she tried very hard not to laugh at her father's perplexed face below her. Troy slowly stood up and rubbed his bottom.

"That wasn't funny Savannah." Troy said in an authoritative voice and his daughter's face suddenly softened - all traces of mischief gone to be replaced by a sad and worried look.

"I'm so sorry Daddy…" she looked at him with puppy dog eyes, tears filling them and threatening to roll down her cheeks. Troy's was instantly quelled; he was a sucker for that look.

"It's alright honey, now c'mon get dressed. I'll just wait downstairs." Troy told her patiently. Savannah just grabbed a purse and went down ahead of him.

"I was already dressed before you asked me who I want to kill, but maybe I'll just go back and see if –"she was cut of by Troy taking her elbow and gently dragging her down the stairs.

"You are clearly the most beautiful chick in the entire world honey…" he cooed not wanting to go back up and wait. Savannah smirked and rolled her eyes at him. Her dad can be such a goofball when he wanted to be. Father and daughter climbed into the car and drove of to the private airport where her Uncle Abe had been waiting for them.

Abe Gardner wasn't pleased. The two were late and judging by the way Troy was hurrying around and his daughter doing nothing, it was another fashion crisis where Savannah didn't know what to wear and Troy couldn't get her to pick something fast.

"Your late." Abe growled at Troy who carried all the luggage.

"I'm sorry Abe, but you know Savannah…" he muttered and glanced at his daughter.

"The girl's got you hooked, just like _her_…" Abe looked quite shocked at what he just said. His friend's ex-wife was a very touchy subject. Troy glared at him.

"I'm sorry Troy, even if it's been 14 years I still can't get over it!" he quickly amended.

"That's fine." Troy replied curtly, Abe knew he wasn't completely forgiven.

Savannah Bolton sauntered up to her uncle and stood in front of him with that dazzling smile of hers. The older man was also a sucker for that look, unbeknownst to Troy.

"Hey there pretty lady, how's about giving me a hug?" he asked sweetly. Savannah squeezed the life out of him in a bear hug and giggled.

"I'm sorry we were late Uncle Abe, I didn't know what dress to wear." Savannah pouted.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, sweetie." Abe told her kindly and she kissed his cheek with a smile/smirk. Troy poked his head out of the door and called his daughter to come inside. Savannah nodded and got inside the plane.

Abe got in the pilot's cockpit and started to taxi. Troy looked out the window and was fiddling with the coat pocket of his suit. Savannah glanced at her dad and knew something was wrong. She deduced it to be her mom since her dad had that far away look in his eyes again. After the take off, when they were about 20,000 feet above sea level, she put her hand on top of his making him look at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked him. Troy sighed and shrugged.

"Nothing, I'm fine." Troy assured his daughter and cracked his knuckles. She instantly knew he was lying.

"No Dad, your not. Please tell me what's wrong…" she pleaded and lightly shook his hand.

"I said I'm fine honey…" he told her once again and Savannah pouted at him.

"If you say so…" she took her hand away from his and folded it primly on her lap also looking away from him. Troy knew he upset his daughter.

"It's about your…mom… ok?" he muttered and Savannah glanced at him and nodded. She didn't say anything more knowing that Sharpay Evans was a very touchy topic for her dad.

The plane ride all the way to Albuquerque was spent in silence. Troy was staring out the window while his daughter read a magazine. Finally Abe announced that they've arrived and that he was going to land. They arrived late afternoon and Abe helped them with the luggage. Jack and Lucille didn't really know when they're going to come and so it would be a surprise for them.

Troy put the luggage in the trunk of the little rented car and said goodbye to his friend. He and his daughter climbed in and he drove back to his first home. On the way, he stopped by the grocery to buy some wine while his daughter bought another magazine. Finally the two were on their way…

As Troy drove, he passed his old high school. His mind went into a flashback about a certain blonde who looked just like his daughter – Sharpay incarnate.

He wondered what Sharpay Evans was doing for Thanksgiving…

~***~

"Mom! What is taking you so long?"

A boy about fifteen years old moaned from the sofa in the living room of his mother's apartment in New York. He rolled his crystal blue eyes and kept tossing and catching a basketball from his position on the couch.

"Jacob, if your mom catches you playing catch she won't like it." a man with blonde hair and blue eyes scolded him. Jacob laughed at his uncle's choice of words.

"Psh! As if Uncle Ry, she's been holed up in her closet since this morning, and the flight leaves in 3 hours, we have to leave by now or else we'll miss it. We have to be in the airport at least two hours before the flight remember?" he said as his uncle sat beside him straightening his shirt.

"Yes, but you know your mother…" he tried to placate the boy.

"Uncle, you dress as good as Mom, how come it only takes you ten minutes?" Jacob whined.

"Because, I prepare the clothes beforehand…" he ruffled the boy's dark brown hair.

"Mom does _the same thing_. Then she has to have at least seven outfit changes before she settles on the one she picked the night before…_why_?!" Jacob whined, more to himself.

"I don't know…" his uncle replied and chuckled. Typical Sharpay to prepare her outfit, change into different ones and then settle on the first one.

"We are going to miss that flight…" Jacob continued moaning.

A woman came out of a room holding up two dresses. She held them in front of Ryan and Jacob, almost shoving it in their faces.

"Which one should I wear?" she asked them demandingly while tapping her foot impatiently.

"I pick the red one!" said Jacob.

"I pick the black one!" said Ryan.

They said it simultaneously and she looked at the two dresses with a furrowed eyebrow.

"Again boys…" she said.

"I still pick the black one!" said Ryan.

"I pick the one that you prepared last night." Jacob grumbled.

"Don't take that tone with me!" she hissed and Jacob hardly flinched, though Ryan did.

"Face it Mom, either you pick a really fabulous outfit which would make us late – or pick the really fabulous one you prepared last night and be done with it." Jacob said flatly. Sharpay frowned at her son – he was just like…

"Honey, I know you're impatient. Please bear with me, a woman's _always _got to look her best…" she explained and Jacob nodded glumly. He fell back on the couch.

"Well Ry, which will it be?" she looked at her brother imploringly.

"I think I have to agree with my nephew today, we'll be late and _our _mother's going to have a fit if we don't get there on time." Ryan told his sister. Sharpay nodded reluctantly and went back to her room. A few minutes later she came out with her first choice of clothing and everyone hurried to the airport.

Jacob Evans sighed peacefully as the airplane finally took off. At least they didn't miss their flight unlike last year. His Grandmother Derby was a stickler for punctuality and rattled on about it throughout dinner. His mother sat beside him reading a magazine and his uncle sat somewhere at the back and was dozing rather noisily, he could hear the snores.

The Evans family was going back to Albuquerque to spend Thanksgiving dinner with the older Evans. Jacob was excited to see his Grandfather Vance and play a mean round of golf with him. His grandfather always praised him on his talent on the course, always said that he was as good as his father, much to Sharpay's dismay. She didn't like anyone mentioning Jacob's father and it was like a taboo topic in their home.

His mother loved the theater as much as his uncle did and that was all they talked about. Jacob always felt quite left out because he was a very athletic kid and it was hard telling them how his game went play by play because he had to do it in layman's terms and that was tough. He always wished he had a father figure in the house to tell these things to and by the way his grandfather's goes on and on about him, he really wished he had one now.

Sharpay noticed the far away look on her son's face. That was how Troy looked whenever he was deep in thought. She tried to go back to the article she was reading but felt bad for Jacob.

"Are you alright Jacob?" she asked him closing her magazine. He nodded not looking at her.

"You're not mad 'coz I took too long are you?" she asked again and he shook his head, still not looking at her.

"What's the matter darling?" she asked for the third time and Jacob sighed, this time glancing at her.

"If I tell you, promise you won't get mad?" he asked her and Sharpay bit her lip.

"Is this about your father?" she asked knowingly and he nodded.

"Why don't you address him by his real name?" Jacob said flatly looking glumly at his mother. Sharpay didn't know what to say; instead she frowned at him and crossed her arms.

"I thought we talked about this a lot of times before…" she began.

"You promised you won't get mad. Forget it Mom, I won't mention it again." Jacob said and went back to his thinking. Sharpay sighed wearily…

The captain of the plane awoke its passengers to tell them that they would all be landing in Albuquerque in ten minutes. Sharpay shook her son awake and got ready as the plane started its descent. When the plane to a complete stop, they quickly got their carry-on bags and proceeded to get the rest of their luggage. After that, Sharpay spotted a limo and the Evans family driver. He helped with the bags and held the door open for Sharpay. Ryan and Jacob got in after her and the driver pulled the car out of the busy airport.

The limo was headed to the Evans mansion, passing East High along the way. Sharpay glanced at her old school and sighed. She remembered being dubbed as "The Ice Queen" and remembered how the students parted when she strutted down the halls. She recalled the theater where it was invaded by amateurs during her junior and senior year, one of them who became her husband. She started fingering the golden band on her finger. Sharpay was so used to her wedding ring she didn't have the heart to take it off.

Jacob watched his mother's actions knowing deep inside that she was thinking about his dad. He just wished he knew who he was too. Sighing he faced his uncle who was busy sleeping beside his mother. Suddenly he smiled getting a marker from his bag and started drawing on his uncle's face. His mother hardly noticed as did his uncle. Jacob laughed silently to himself…

* * *

I seem incredibly inspired to write so many stories, something I won't be able to do after my Christmas break. :)  
So please review.. Please, please, please! :)

And also...  
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!  
2009 is upon us, and a brand new start it is! :)


	2. Chapter 2

****

Home is Where the Heart Lives

**Chapter II**

Troy parked the car a block from the Bolton residences and instructed Savannah to keep it quiet. They were going to sneak in and really give a surprise. Savannah grinned and followed her Dad. He positioned her by the doorbell while he unlatched the gate to the backyard. When the gate was open, he signaled to his daughter who rang the bell and ran as fast as she could while keeping quiet to the backyard. Jack Bolton opened the door and scowled.

"It must be some kid trying to prank us." he said to his wife who was in the kitchen.

"Kids these days…" Lucille said in a disappointed voice as Jack joined her in the kitchen.

Troy and Savannah were giggling as they crept to the doorway leading to the kitchen. They both peeked seeing the two older Boltons with their backs on them. They stood in the doorway and took a deep breath.

"SURPRISE!!!" father and daughter yelled causing Jack to turn so swiftly he fell of the chair and Lucille to clutch her heart and gape at them.

"Oh my goodness, Troy and Savannah, you scared us!" she cried and went to hug her son and granddaughter. Jack was still reeling from the shock and he stood up looking like he still didn't know what hit him. Then he stared blankly at his son and granddaughter.

"Am I dreaming?" he asked blankly and Savannah gave a high pitch giggle.

"No Grandpa! We're here for Thanksgiving!" she squealed and ran to give her grandfather a hug.

"Oomph! God you're _heavy_!" Jack said faking exhaustion after hugging her.

"Well I never! I am not heavy Grandpa Jack." Savannah said with mock indignation. Lucille and Troy giggled when Savannah stomped out of the room with Jack following her profusely apologizing. Lucille turned to her son.

"What brings you here early?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"What? I want to spend time with my family is all." Troy said, raising his eyebrows.

"Every year, you arrive in Albuquerque _a day_ before Thanksgiving, not three days ahead. I know you in and out son; we aren't really the real reason. Just partially." Lucille said knowingly.

"Alright Mom, I'll admit it. I want to go to Lava Springs you know…" he trailed off.

"I don't even know why you divorced in the first place." Lucille said disappointedly.

"She wasn't ready to have a baby – she said her career came first." Troy told her flatly.

"Sharpay was just scared, actually terrified, of the fact that she was going to be a mother you know. And, if truth be told, you really didn't support her as much as a father would." Lucille said dispraisingly. Troy sighed, he knew she was right. At 24 he also wasn't ready to have a baby and opted to play harder for the Lakers than take care of his wife.

"So why do you want to go back to Lava Springs?" she asked bringing Troy back to earth.

"It's been 15 years Mom. I just knew she was the one – my second divorce told me so." Troy told her getting lost in his thoughts again. He made the mistake of remarrying when Savannah was 10 years of age. He rekindled his old flame with Gabriella and the marriage lasted two years before they called it quits. Gabriella couldn't stand being reminded of Sharpay in Savannah's form and his daughter hated her stepmother with a vengeance. To top it off, Troy still wasn't over Sharpay though she was hardly mentioned in his household.

"And all your other ex-girlfriends. Don't think that just because you live quite far away from us doesn't mean I don't get to know what goes on in your life." Lucille scolded her son.

"How did you…?" Troy looked at her, his cheeks beginning to redden.

"I call them thrice a month for you Dad." Savannah interrupted from the doorway with a smirk.

"Remember, you _promise _to call them?" she reminded him still smirking and Troy frowned at her, his daughter sometimes eavesdropped just for the heck of it.

"Where's Jack?" Lucille asked seeing the look on her son's face.

"Here I am." Jack said standing beside his granddaughter looking quite flushed.

"And why are you flushed?" Lucille asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"She…made me…chase her…" Jack said in between breaths.

"Dad, she's fifteen, why'd you chase her?" Troy cried crossing his arms and Savannah giggled.

"Son, she's the daughter I never had. You gotta understand." Jack explained wringing his hands and Lucille shot him a what-the-hell look.

"What Grandpa Jack was trying to say is – I'm his little girl and that he still doesn't want to see me grow up. And I didn't forgive him yet so I ran away and he chased me." Savannah explained and Jack smiled at her but frowned on the last part.

"But you're _my _little girl." Troy pouted and Savannah went over to her father and hugged him.

"I still am…" she assured him and Troy hugged her tightly. Jack and Lucille were touched at the sight. Savannah was Troy's sole reminder of the woman he loved with a fiery passion.

The moment was ruined when the doorbell sounded repeatedly making Jack dash to the front door with an angry look. Troy let go of his daughter reluctantly to follow his Dad. Jack was kind of unpredictable when pissed.

"What the hell –"Troy put a hand on his father's shoulder and told him that he'll be the one to answer the door. He opened it to find a tall dark boy with an afro bouncing a basketball while a little girl stood beside him closing her pocketbook.

"Uncle Troy?" the little dark girl looked up at him, surprise written all over her face and she squealed with delight as she threw herself onto him. Troy landed on his back with a thud.

"Hey Christine!" he said in a muffled voice as the little girl continued to squeeze the life out of him. He heard thumping at his side and glanced up to see the tall dark boy grinning down at him.

"Hey Uncle T! How's the LA Lakers?" he asked and Troy grinned up at him still trying to pry himself from Christine Monique Danforth's death grip.

"They're doing good Brian." Troy said in a muffled voice. Brian Corbin Danforth grinned at his father's bestfriend and decided to take pity on him.

"Yo Savannah!" he called out and winked at Troy. Savannah bounded into the hall and Christine immediately released Troy to hug her. Savannah hugged her back as hard as she could and the two girls went back to the kitchen. Troy stood up and dusted himself off, Brian watched him with an amused smile.

"Chad, I told you to go and lock up the car and watch the kids while I make a phone call!" Taylor was scolding her husband who looked at her sheepishly as they walked to the door.

"They're big children now Tay, Brian can take care of Christine, he's 17!" Chad tried to defend himself. Troy knew that the bickering won't stop until Taylor gets the final word and Chad would slouch with no more comebacks.

"Ahem." Troy said loudly and the couple looked over at him. Immediately Chad's face brightened and he gave Troy a manly hug while Taylor waited patiently for her turn and kissed his cheek. Troy led them to the kitchen and excused himself to properly park his car.

When he went back to his parent's house he found everyone gathered in the living room. Taylor looked excited about something as well as his mom. He sat beside his daughter on the couch and gave them a curious looked. Chad smiled at him and handed over a letter. It was an invitation for his batch's reunion. Troy gulped thinking that Sharpay might attend. He was distracted when his daughter snatched the letter from his hand and pointed out a line to him. The letter was encouraging them to bring over their family too, if they wanted and Savannah gave Troy a pleading look.

"You wanna come?" he asked her and Savannah nodded, giving him her best puppy dog look.

"Are you going to come?" Taylor asked and Troy looked over at her.

"Well…" he began and felt Savannah crossing her arms and huffing. She looked disappointed.

"You really wanna come?" he looked over at his daughter and she pouted at him.

"I just wanted to know _more_ about you…" she said dramatically and Troy rolled his eyes.

"Alright, I'll go honey, only if you come with me…" Savannah instantly switched moods and hugged her father. Chad smirked, Savannah had her Daddy practically wrapped around her finger.

"Are you going too buddy?" Troy looked over at Chad and his bestfriend nodded.

"With Brian and Christine." Taylor said making her son roll his eyes.

"Yeah, like _I _haven't seen East High before." Brian remarked about his high school earning a glare from his mother.

"Don't start with me." Taylor hissed and her son instantly shut his mouth. Troy was impressed with Taylor's authority. Her kids behave the moment she opens her mouth but Savannah gets away with her puppy dog face most of the time, except when she's done something really major, which still hasn't happened yet.

"Alright, when will it be?" Lucille asked with a smile.

"Two days after Thanksgiving." Taylor replied and Jack looked at his son.

"How long will you be staying after Thanksgiving?" he asked.

"Around a week more." Troy told him and his parents beamed, they've missed him so much.

"Now that we've established that, can we eat?" Chad asked and his wife rolled her eyes. Lucille though beamed at him and beckoned everyone into the dining room.

"How come you have such perfect timing, dude?" Troy whispered to Chad.

"What do you mean?" he whispered back, his mouth filled with food.

"You visit my parents the exact day we arrive." Troy pointed out.

"Dude, Jason works for the airport you just landed in. He called us." Chad reminded Troy.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that! Good thing he didn't call my parents…" Troy said. Savannah nudged him in the ribs.

"Dad, you do not talk with your mouth full." Savannah scolded her father much to the amusement of everyone.

"I'm sorry honey…" he swallowed and smiled at her.

"Ugh Dad, you told me to work on my etiquette and then you're a bad role model." Savannah huffed and everyone laughed as Troy looked at her sheepishly.

"I've raised her well, don't you think?" he looked around and beamed with pride at his daughter. The affection wasn't missed by his parents or his close friends. Troy was proud of his daughter and he obviously loved her so much. They just all secretly wished that her mother could feel the same way…

"Savannah honey, do you want to go shopping with me tomorrow?" Lucille asked.

"Yes!" she cried and smiled at Troy. He raised an eyebrow at her and nodded.

"Just don't max out my credit card," he said to her knowing full well she would – maybe.

"I'll keep her in check." Lucille assured her son and he smiled gratefully.

~***~

The limo pulled up in front of the Evans mansion and the attendants all hurried to assist its passengers. The butler greeted Sharpay, Ryan (he gave him a rather odd look) and Jacob and led the three to the veranda where Mr. and Mrs. Evans were waiting.

"Sharpay dearest!" Derby greeted her daughter. She hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"Ducky! Mommy missed you-"she was cut off when she saw her son's face.

"What on earth did you do to your face?!" she cried looking quite horrified. Vance stepped closer to inspect his son's face after hugging his daughter.

"Why? What's wrong?!" Ryan looked alarmed as Sharpay burst into laughter as she handed him her mirror. Ryan glanced at his face and scowled looking over to his nephew who was innocently chewing an apple from the fruit bowl in the middle of a huge table set for lunch.

"What did you do?" he hissed and Jacob burst into laughter. Sharpay put a protective arm around her son and stopped her brother who was advancing towards him.

"That was not funny." Ryan snapped and went off to wash his face. Vance faced his grandson.

"Are you up for a game of golf after lunch?" he asked Jacob, his brown eyes gleaming challengingly.

"You bet I am." Jacob said and puffed his chest giving his grandfather a proud smile.

"That's my boy!" Vance cried happily and sat himself at the head of the table. Derby smiled and took her seat at the other end while Sharpay sat beside her son.

"So princess, how's the theater business going?" Vance asked his daughter who launched into another tirade of amateur actors and starlets who act like they own the world once the crowd loved them after _one _show. Jacob excused himself from the table and asked the butler to call him when the food was served. He went to the music room and rifled through a few song sheets scattered about. He saw one that caught his interest. It was light pink with a letter on the back for his mom.

It was from Troy Bolton telling her that he will love her forever and ever. Jacob raised an eyebrow; Troy Bolton was a star player and now coach of the Lakers. Last he heard the guy was living in LA, how could he possibly know his mom?

Ryan cleared his throat and entered the music room. He looked at the pink song sheet and immediately read what was going through his nephew's mind.

"I still haven't forgiven you for that fake mustache and terrible lines on my face." Ryan said.

"It made you look human Uncle…" Jacob joked and Ryan shook his head.

"Why are you snooping around?" he asked.

"They've started talking about the theater." Jacob answered.

"It bores you doesn't it?" he patted Jacob's back and took the song sheet from him. He seated himself on the piano stool and started playing.

"'You' by the Carpenters? Uncle, that's like a _very _old song." Jacob said and rolled his eyes. Ryan however, was lost in the music and hardly thought about his answer.

"Troy was unique that way. He was sentimental and sweet; oh your mother would sing this song at the top of her lungs back then. It was one of the songs she wouldn't change into a livelier beat, she loved it just the way it was. The way she loved your father…" he trailed off.

"Troy Bolton is my father?" Jacob looked at his uncle who suddenly stopped playing.

"W-w-what?" he stammered as his nephew gazed at him with shock and anger.

"Troy Bolton is my father?" Jacob repeated clearly and Ryan hung his head.

"Yes…" he replied and saw the look of hurt plastered all over his nephew's face.

"Why didn't you tell me? I always thought he was dead or something…" Jacob looked pissed.

"He and your mother had a terribly bitter divorce and she hardly mentioned him. As far as I've heard she wasn't mentioned in his presence either." Ryan explained and tried to soothe him.

"I wanted to meet him for a long time and I was watching him all along." Jacob muttered, referring to the times when he watched him play.

"I'm sorry kid. You know your mother; just confront her about it when it looks like she's ready. And by that I mean after Thanksgiving…" Ryan patted Jacob's back and led him back to the veranda.

Sharpay glanced at her son and brother taking note of their somber expression that they tried to hide. She studied their faces but they acted like nothing happened and her parents didn't seem to notice anything. Lunch was more talk about theater, and then yoga. Vance was the only one who was able to relate to Jacob since he was the one who loved sports as much as the teen.

After lunch, Jacob left with grandfather to the country club to play golf and Derby went with them for her yoga classes. That left Ryan and Sharpay alone in the house for a while. Ryan was back in the music room and was playing Bach when Sharpay burst in.

"What did you talk about?" she asked in a calm voice but Ryan knew better.

"He wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving." Ryan answered her praying that she'd buy it.

"No, tell me now." Sharpay demanded, hands on her hips, giving her brother a glare.

"After Thanksgiving Shar… you know patience is a virtue." Ryan told her with a smile.

"That I never learn, and may never will." Sharpay said exasperatedly accompanied by a roll of her eyes.

"C'mon Ryan, spill!" she said loudly. Her brother knew that they could do this all day long, even in the middle of the night she can come creeping into his room just to wake him up and annoy him, or give him alcohol just so he'll say it in his moment of drunkeness. She's done it before so he decided to tell her.

"He knows…" her brother gave in and handed over the pink song sheet. Sharpay gasped dramatically and glared at her brother.

"How could you let this happen?!" she cried sinking into a sofa and Ryan gave her a look.

"I didn't, somehow fate did." Ryan told her and she rolled her eyes at him.

"You could've told him it was nothing, that he was an old flame!" she hissed. It was Ryan's turn to roll his eyes at her.

"An old flame? Do you expect him to believe that?" Ryan snapped.

"Why not? After all, you are his uncle." Sharpay snapped back.

"Shar, he deserves the truth. You should've seen his face when he found out! He was hurt-"

"That's why I never wanted him to know in the first place!"

"That doesn't make any sense. Someday he'll find out and you will wake up realizing that you broke your son's heart and he's too mad at you to forgive you."

"Just like his father broke mine. How could I let my own flesh and blood meet the ass who exchanged his wife for basketball?!"

"Troy was as scared as hell about having a baby. I admit his decision wasn't one of responsibility but…"

"Continue Ryan; c'mon, finish your sentence."

"You could've worked it out though…"

"Puh-leez Ry, like I've never heard that one before. You know what he said to me? Troy Bolton promised never to leave my side, through good times or bad. I _must always come first_. He went to his game the night I went into labor!"

"He went over the speed limit right after just to be there for you."

"That's not good enough!"

"It's always not good enough Shar! The man didn't know that that night was the night! He wanted to win because it meant a huge paycheck."

"Yeah like I didn't have one myself working as an actress."

"When you give birth, you couldn't possibly leave your babies at home and start working to get your figure back and your lines perfected."

"What's so important about his paycheck that he had to go for it?!"

"It meant food, shelter and security for your babies lives and yours and his too, if he didn't get his paycheck you'll starve Shar."

"You know fully well that I won't. I can always come back here; Daddy would make sure I won't starve along with my babies."

"Oh yeah, I forgot, your Daddy's little Princess. Tell me then, _your royal highness_, why you wanted to become independent in the first place against Dad's wishes?"

"I just wanted to know how it feels…"

"And so you did, you became independent. Then you married the Lakers' star player and just like any couple, the man felt the need to be the breadwinner. Is that a sin?"

"And miss me going into my first labor?!"

"Shar, he tried to be a good father for them, but you kept pushing him away."

"How can he ever be? Troy fainted when I told him I was pregnant."

"He did?"

"Like hell he did!"

"But then he got over it and tried to support you the best he could."

"Whenever he was at home that is, and that was very rare. He was always out."

"Training for the big game that would undoubtedly secure your future."

"Whatever! He had to go and he knew it. If he couldn't support me, what more the children?"

"Is that why you kicked him out and told him to go to hell?"

"He deserved it! I couldn't believe what he had done…"

"And it happened fourteen years ago, couldn't you give it a rest now?"

"Never Ryan, he has to pay the price."

"For what Sharpay – for trying to be a better man?"

Sharpay couldn't face her brother. She knew that what Ryan said made perfect sense. Troy tried so hard to make it up to her but she hardly gave him a chance. Instead, she threw his bags at him and gave him the most vicious tongue lasing he could ever have in his lifetime. Troy didn't leave without a fight saying that he wanted one of the twins with him. Sharpay knew she had to relent or else he'll give her hell. And when Troy Bolton raised hell, that was another matter.

"Sharpay?" Ryan asked her, she didn't even realize that she was crying.

"He hurt me so bad Ry, so bad…" she sobbed and Ryan took her in his arms.

"I know Shar… and I know that somewhere out there, Troy couldn't live with his guilt." Ryan soothed her while Sharpay cried out all the pain she felt fifteen years ago.

"But what about Jacob?" she sobbed in his arms. Ryan looked at her thoughtfully.

"I'm sure he'll forgive you." Ryan told her and held her until their parents and his nephew were home.

The Evans family was gathered in the great dining room for dinner. They were just having desert when the butler entered carrying a letter on a silver tray. He said that it was addressed to Sharpay and Ryan. Vance took the letter and handed it to his son. Ryan read it and looked a bit worriedly to Sharpay.

"Well Ducky, what does it say?" Derby asked eagerly.

"It's an invitation from East High Mother." Ryan replied and Derby looked eagerly at her children. Vance urged his son to continue while Sharpay's face was unreadable and Jacob didn't seem to want to hear it. He seemed distant since he got home.

"Our batch's having a reunion two days after Thanksgiving, and we could bring our families if we want to." Ryan said the facts and glanced at Sharpay.

"That would be exciting Ducky! You should go, and take Jacob with you." Derby beamed. Ryan nodded, he couldn't resist his mother and Sharpay nodded too, albeit reluctantly.

After desert, Derby said she wanted to talk to Ryan and Jacob said that he'll go to bed. Vance ushered his daughter into the study and indicated an armchair facing the huge fireplace. He sat down on the other armchair and looked thoughtfully at his daughter.

"You've been quite down during dinner, Princess, what's the matter?" he asked her.

"Jacob found out about Troy." Sharpay said and sniffled. Vance hardly looked surprised.

"Did he now? He's bound to know someday…" he told her thoughtfully and Sharpay frowned.

"You put that piece in there didn't you?" she said accusingly and her father sighed.

"You knew that he'd be bored to death when we start talking about the theater and knew that he'll go to the music room first because that's where he always goes ever since he could walk and…and… how could you?" she cried. Vance just looked at his daughter thoughtfully.

"He's not a little boy anymore and me and your mother don't think that it would do you good if he would find out too late and end up hating you. Jacob deserves the truth Princess, how would you feel if you grew up not knowing me at all?" Vance explained, his brown eyes trying to break the ice wall his daughter builds to protect herself, she is slipping her Ice Queen mask back on.

"Did Ryan know what you've done?" she asked coldly and her father shook his head.

"I've always tried to do what's right Princess…" he said sadly and sighed.

"Why Daddy?" she pouted and Vance looked at his daughter with sad eyes.

"I couldn't bear to see my Princess hide her pain. Every year I can see you looking forlornly at the fairways where you always looked when he played golf with me. I can see the longing in your face when your son gives you that grin your husband once gave you. I can see the anger in your eyes when you see him on television playing basketball being cheered by your son. I can see the guilt that eats you knowing that your child doesn't know that he is watching his father all along. I can still feel the hurt he has caused you after all these years. I can bear your pain Princess, and I always will, because I love you.

"But what I cannot bear to see is the longing on my grandson's face. He tries to hide the hurt he feels when he is left in the dark about his father. It is not right Princess, to leave him out of what he deserves to know… because the moment he turns from you, I fear I cannot be there when your world comes crashing down. To catch you as I once did… I couldn't bear to see you in pain Princess, I can never will…"

Sharpay was sobbing so hard for the second time that day. Here she was listening to her father's explanation understanding fully well what he meant. He was trying to protect her, like he always did. She was Daddy's little girl and she knew that it was a position she would forever get to keep. She wept and Vance held her and comforted her throughout the night.

Meanwhile, Ryan was having tea with his mother at the patio. Derby sipped her tea and looked at her son. She sighed and put down her cup.

"Are you going to the reunion Ducky?" she asked him. Ryan also put down his cup.

"Yes Mom, we are." he replied and Derby nodded her approval.

"Take care of your sister, alright?" she asked him and Ryan gave her a questioning look.

"I think, she'll meet him again." Derby replied.

"Do you think he'll be there?" he asked her and Derby smiled sadly.

"I have a feeling he will be…" she told him and Ryan gulped. His mother was hardly wrong.

"And what about Jacob?" Ryan asked thoughtfully.

"He will do what he thinks is right. You and Sharpay have raised him well." Derby said.

"What do you mean, mother?" her son asked confused. Then realization dawned upon him.

"You put the piece out didn't you?" he said and she nodded. He gaped at her.

"Ducky, your father and I didn't feel it appropriate that our only grandchild should grow up bitter against his family because he doesn't know who his father is." Derby explained.

"Your telling that to me – Sharpay's the one who doesn't want him mentioned." Ryan frowned.

"Ducky, you live with your sister and nephew, why didn't you then?" his mother countered.

"Shar didn't want me to…" he said in defeat and his mother raised an eyebrow.

"Just because she told you not to doesn't mean you must follow her orders." Derby said quite aghast. "You are not inferior to her…" she scolded him and Ryan nodded.

"I know that but at that time Jacob was just a little boy…" he said in defense.

"Now he isn't, he's growing and I think he waited long enough." Derby replied tersely.

"What's done is done Mother. Let's just see where this all takes us." he said and got his cup. Derby watched her son in the corner of her eye as he sipped his tea. She could feel herself shaking, whatever is coming, its going to make them spin a full 360.

* * *

This chapter is very dramatic (on Sharpay's part), but was it too much?  
Please review! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter III**

Troy woke up and went down to the kitchen to find a note from his mom saying that she and Savannah went shopping. He heard his father come down the stairs and stand beside him reading the note over his shoulder.

"That explains all the squealing…" he grumbled and made himself a cup of coffee. Troy sat down across him after getting his own cup.

"You know, it seems just like yesterday that you sat across me wearing that blue bib your mother bought you. Sitting on a highchair giggling madly as I fed you." Jack laughed at the memory and Troy smiled at his father.

"I know, I feel the same when I eat breakfast with Savannah." Troy agreed and smiled.

"She's growing up fine, don't you think?" his father said proudly.

"Yep, just like her mother – only without the bitchiness." Troy said glumly. Jack didn't know what to say to that. He took a sip of his coffee while he pondered his son's statement.

"That's the beauty of it…" he joked and Troy just gave a half-hearted chuckle.

"I still miss her Dad. Sharpay just threw me out of her life, out of Jacob's life. I didn't even get to know my little boy…" he said sadly. Jack sighed and looked at his son.

"Well, you did let her down... sometimes women can't forget about these things. I mean, there was one time when I forgot it was our anniversary because it was a championship game. She prepared _everything _and I came home that night fuming because practice didn't go well… suffice to say it's an experience I'd rather not repeat in my lifetime." Jack finished with a cringe and a shudder and Troy snorted.

"I guess so… but she forgave you, that's the difference…" he said. Jack shook his head.

"No she didn't, well ok, she did. But she _never _forgot it…"

"Do you think Sharpay has forgiven me?" Troy wondered and his father scratched his arm.

"That's not really for me to find out son." Jack told him and Troy nodded. Then he finished his coffee and called Chad over for a game in his backyard.

Chad arrived with Brian and Troy said they'll play two on two; Jack and Troy versus Chad and Brian. The game was intense; it was three basketball coaches and East High's MVP. Brian faked left then breaks right easily passing Troy who tried to take the ball. Jack tried to block the shot but Brian passed it to Chad who shoots it and the four watched as the ball went through the net. The Danforths won and they were doing a celebration dance on the Bolton's backyard court.

"Get out of our house Chad." Troy menacingly and Chad went up to him. The two circled each other, sizing each other up.

"No. I beat you Bolton." Chad growled, holding onto his son's ball tightly. Troy took a step forward and slapped the ball away from Chad dribbling it then he shoots.

"And Troy Bolton scores!!!" he yelled and he and his Dad did their own victory dance.

"That's cheating Uncle T." Brian said in amusement and the four were about to play more b-ball when they heard the distant ringing of the phone. Jack dashed into the house immediately followed by Troy.

"What? Oh, sure… yes I'll tell him." Jack put down the phone and looked at his son.

"Better get dressed. Your mom wants you to pick her up from the spa." Jack said.

"The spa?" Troy asked and his father nodded. "Which spa?"

"There's only one spa your mother will ever go to, son." Jack said sternly and Troy nodded. He went up the stairs to get showered and dressed. He went down to his rented car, said goodbye to Chad and Brian and went off to Lava Springs.

~***~

Savannah didn't feel like going with her grandmother to the spa and she walked around the country club wanting to explore the place. She went to the outdoor restaurant which overlooked the fairways of the golf course. She watched some old men playing golf and was reminded of her dad. Troy would play golf with her and they would have a one on one. She was snapped out of her memory when she thought she saw her dad playing.

It couldn't be him, Savannah thought, he looks way too young. Indeed the boy she saw looked like her dad's clone but with less wrinkles. The boy was playing with a much older man with steel gray hair and a winner's smile. She shook her head, she must be dreaming. Suddenly the boy was headed towards the outdoor restaurant and she watched him as he went up the steps and asked the waiter for a glass of water.

Savannah could see him clearly and she swore her heart stopped at that moment. The boy was tall and lean with dark brown hair, crystal blue eyes and a dazzling smile that could melt any girl's heart. Her mouth went dry and her eyes were wide with shock. This must be her twin, the one her dad was incredibly sad about because he didn't get to know him.

Jacob could feel someone's eyes on him and he felt like he was being x-rayed. He wanted to tell that someone off and he looked at the girl who was gaping at him. His immediate reaction was incredibly identical to the girl's. She looked like his mom! From the blonde locks, brown eyes to the designer clothes, this was Sharpay Evans – incarnate. Jacob couldn't believe his eyes, he had a _twin sister_?! How many secrets is his mom keeping from him?

The girl was approaching him; the shock on her face wore off and was replaced by a look of curiosity. She smiled and held out her hand.

"I'm Savannah Bolton." Savannah introduced herself and Jacob meekly offered his hand.

"Jacob Evans, nice to meet you…" he replied and gave a small smile which she returned.

"So… this is awkward. Do you wanna sit down?" she indicated a chair and sat down crossing her legs. Jacob sat across her and folded his arms.

"Am I dreaming?" he muttered and gulped the water the waiter gave him. Savannah rolled her eyes. Must every Bolton male ask that question?

"No, your not, I'm like your twin." Savannah said, trying to hide her exasperation.

"I think we've established that." Jacob said flatly and looked far away.

"So…does that mean my mom's here?" Savannah asked, looking around excitedly.

"Nah, she stayed at home." Jacob told her and saw a disappointed look.

"In New York?" his twin asked sadly and he shook his head and smiled.

"No, in my grandparent's house. We're here for Thanksgiving. We do it every year." Jacob told her. Savannah looked at him wide-eyed.

"No way! Me and my Dad come here too for Thanksgiving!" she squealed.

"No way!" Jacob cried.

"Way!" Savannah assured him. The twins smiled at this revelation.

"I've always wanted to meet my dad." Jacob said with longing.

"I've always wanted to meet my mom." Savannah said and giggled.

"What's so funny?" he asked her and she shrugged.

"This is like The Parent Trap but this time we can't switch places to bring them back together."

"Yeah we can't, but we can still try and bring them back together."

"What do you mean?"

"The East High reunion, they can meet and everything…"

"Then fall in love and ride off to the sunset. C'mon… get real."

"I'm just saying, is all…"

"I know my Dad. He still loves her and he wants to meet you so bad. I think we should establish that before approaching your – I mean _our_ mom."

"I would've said something in my mother's defense, but I think your right. Mom is a drama queen. But how'd you know that?"

"A little bird told me… duh! The man she used to be married to couldn't stop yapping about her."

"Oh…"

"You are so like Dad… quite clueless…"

"The Lakers' star player is _clueless_?! How did he become so good on the court?"

"My Dad may be clueless but not entirely…"

"Savannah!"

"Oh my gosh, that's Grandma! I better get going…"

"Hey, wait up!"

"Why?"

"Well duh, I'm her grandchild too!"

"Oh right… oh right… OH MY GOD!"

"What?"

"Come with me!"

Savannah linked hands with her brother and dragged him towards the spa. Lucille Bolton just called and asked for Troy to pick them up. She glanced at her daughter dragging Troy – no wait, the boy _looked _like Troy. Could it be?

"Hi." Jacob said and gave her a smile.

"Grandma, this is Jacob. He's my…" Savannah was cut off by her grandmother hugging, or rather flinging herself to, Jacob.

"Twin…" she finished as she watched her brother hug her back.

"Oh my goodness you look so much like Troy." Lucille was crying as she hugged tighter. Jacob motioned to Savannah and she pried her grandmother away from him.

"I think he can't breathe…" she whispered and Lucille broke away apologizing.

"It's ok…Grandma." Jacob said and smiled.

Meanwhile, Vance Evans was getting quite angry. Jacob said he'll go for a glass of water and he hasn't come back yet. He went through the outdoor restaurant and asked a waiter if he'd seen his grandson. The waiter pointed him in the direction of the spa.

Vance hurried there wondering what on earth Jacob will be doing in a spa. The first person he saw was Lucille Bolton hugging her grandson. He stopped in his tracks and was about to greet her when he saw the blonde girl standing beside them and froze. He blinked and watched as she pried Lucille off Jacob. He hurried towards her.

"Lucille! How lovely to see you!"

Vance Evans was striding toward the trio and Savannah looked at him in wonder.

"Vance! It's been too long." Lucille replied and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"There you are Jacob, you didn't come back." Vance scolded his grandson.

"I'm sorry Grandfather but you see," he indicated Savannah, "I just met my twin sister."

"Twin sister?" Vance stared at Savannah, "you must be…"

"Savannah Bolton." she finished for him and held out her hand. Vance however swept her in a hug.

"My granddaughter!" he cried happily and broke away, ushering them all to the outside restaurant. Sitting them around the table he asked them all to wait as he rushed to the yoga class of his wife. He burst through the door and disturbed the calmness of the place as he rushed towards his wife. He stopped in front of her and Derby gave him a frown.

"What must be the matter darling?" she asked in annoyed tone. Vance took her hand and handed her a robe.

"Just put it on and come with me!" he cried happily and nearly dragged her across the room. Derby frowned at her husband. He hasn't been this excited since they were young lovers who wanted nothing more than to escape the world as they rushed to a nearby hotel to make love. She giggled at the memory.

"Darling, are you having a recollection of that little inn?" she cooed and Vance smiled.

"In a while my love, but this is more important." Vance told her and Derby was curious. Finally they reached the table and she was shocked. Standing before her was her granddaughter!

"Oh my! Savannah, is that you?" she asked and the young girl nodded and hugged her. When everyone was settled yet again, Vance ordered food for them and then started chatting with his granddaughter. Savannah told him that she went to Marlborough School, Vance and Derby were impressed. Troy spared no expense in the education of his daughter. She was also into drama and arts as well as sports. She plays golf with her dad and is part of the school varsity in golf. Vance was truly impressed.

In all the excitement, Lucille's phone vibrated and she answered a somewhat irate call from her son that he's been waiting in the lobby for quite some time. Savannah said she had a plan and told them all to wait for her.

She walked into the lobby and linked her father's arm through hers and dragged her to the outdoor restaurant. Troy told her that he just came to pick them up.

"Dad please… I'm hungry…" his daughter pleaded and Troy gave in. He let her drag him.

"Ok… just slow down." Troy told her and she did.

When the two reached the table, Vance immediately stood up and shook hands with Troy.

"It's been long, son. How have you been?" he asked and Troy grinned at him.

"I've been well Vance, I see you've met your granddaughter." Troy said and Vance nodded.

"After fourteen years at last! But Troy…" he said and Troy looked at him attentively.

"Have you met your son?" Vance asked and indicated Jacob. Troy's eyes went wide with shock. In front of him sat a boy who looked to be the same age as his daughter. He had brown hair and blue eyes which were looking back at him with the same shock. Jacob rushed to his father and studied him. Here stood his basketball hero and his father. He hugged Troy.

"Oh my God you're my dad!" he cried and Troy was overwhelmed as he hugged him back.

The two immediately sat down beside each other and started chatting. He learned that his son goes to York Preparatory School and was raised without a nanny. Troy was impressed; he swore Sharpay was willing to hire a nanny since she grew up with one. After a while, Lucille's phone once again rang and Jack was worried.

"Jacob, do you want to go and meet Jack?" Troy asked his son, also glancing at Vance.

"Of course Dad!" he replied. Troy glanced at Vance and Derby who both nodded.

"If your willing to wait a while longer Troy, we're coming with you." Vance said and stood up. He and his wife changed clothes and drove their own car to the Bolton residence.

Jack opened the door and ushered them all in. He was surprised that Vance and Derby would tag alone and was more surprised when he saw Jacob. Chad and Brian, who were waiting for Troy, were also shocked.

"Dude, I never thought I'll ever get to meet your son!" Chad exclaimed and shook hands with Jacob. Brian gave him a heads up and asked if he wanted to play ball. Jacob agreed and all the men in the household watched and cheered. Jacob was as good as Troy.

A car pulled up in front of the Bolton residence and Taylor rushed out followed by Christine. She was awed by Troy's son as was her daughter. Lucille prepared them all dinner and when they were all done; Savannah and her brother went out to chat about their lives while Troy and the other adults gathered in the living room. Chad and his family went home already.

"So, how are we going to get them together?" Savannah asked her brother.

"It's going to be tough…" Jacob mused and pulled out a candy bar.

"How so?" his sister asked and bit her lip looking at the sky.

"First, Mom is going to freak out on me, and then she'll go nuts on Uncle Ryan. After that, when Dad tries to make her fall back in love, she'll be in denial and freak some more, mainly at him. Then she'll isolate herself for a while but we can't let her do that 'coz Mom can do really freaky things. Perhaps she'll bond with you but you have to be careful around her, she's insanely delicate. She'll freak out on you too if you force her to go back with Dad when she's not ready. That's pretty much about it." Jacob explained and laughed at his sister's face, she was shocked.

"She's that _dramatic_?" she gasped and acted like she was going to faint. She put the back of her hand to her forehead and gave an exaggerated gasp slowly swooning. Jacob laughed throughout.

"Yep! That's Mom." Jacob said and the two continued planning.

Troy sat with his parents and ex in-laws in the living room. The older Boltons and Evans were catching up on each other and he wasn't really listening. He was thinking about Sharpay, she was here, in Albuquerque and staying in her old home. He excused himself and walked out to join his children. Troy climbed his old tree house and sat between Savannah and Jacob.

"Hi Dad." Savannah greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi Dad." Jacob said and smiled at him, "it seems so awkward. Calling you Dad when I've just met you…" he continued and Troy shrugged.

"I feel the same way buddy, but we're gonna get used to it." Troy assured him.

"Too young to join the adult talk inside?" her daughter joked and Troy laughed sarcastically.

"I'm not really welcome there, it's a different world…" he said and his daughter giggled.

"Well I bet you'll have to be alone tonight, 'coz it's also a different world up here. This time you're too old to join." Savannah joked and Troy feigned hurt.

"You break my heart, and I thought I raised you better than that…" he pouted.

"_You _are such a Drama King Dad!" she nudged his ribs and Troy tickled her side.

"Like your not one yourself, Little Miss Drama Queen!" he quipped as he continued to tickle her.

"Welcome to the club!" Savannah squealed and Troy tickled her harder.

"Wow, how juvenile." Jacob remarked with an amused expression and Troy raised an eyebrow.

"For one so young, you sure are mature." Troy joked with a grin.

"Comes with the package…" his son said and they all laughed.

"So, does Mom become juvenile too?" Savannah asked with a sweet smile. Jacob cracked up.

"What's so funny?" she snapped and pouted, Troy frowned a bit too.

"She doesn't _become _juvenile, she is _in denial _about being juvenile." Jacob explained still laughing his head off.

"What do you mean?" Troy questioned and Jacob grinned at him.

"You tell me I'm mature, and now you know why…" he said and leaned against the railing of the tree house.

"Typical Sharpay behavior." Troy nodded his agreement and laughed too. Savannah pouted at her father making Troy instantly stop. This didn't go unnoticed by Jacob and he watched, with a hint of jealousy, how Troy becomes putty in her hands.

"Dad, I don't get it…" she whined and Troy sobered up then faced his daughter.

"Well you see, your mom is also one big Drama Queen. She's spoiled but not rotten and she wants everyone to believe that she's mature or whatever whether they like it or not…" he explained. Savannah nodded her understanding and gave her father a dazzling smile.

"So, what've you two been talking about up here?" Troy questioned them. Savannah looked at Jacob who looked back at her, then at his father.

"Please tell me?" Troy pleaded giving a puppy dog look at each of them. Jacob noticed Savannah giving in and then giving him a look that was asking for permission, he nodded.

"We are planning to get you and Mom together!" she squealed in delight making Troy chuckle.

"Seriously, now why would you do that?" he asked.

"So we could be a family." Jacob explained and Troy chuckled some more.

"Don't you think I can't do that?" he asked and Savannah and Jacob shared a look.

"Do what Daddy?" she asked him innocently. Troy raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.

"Uh, get me and your Mom together?" he answered sweetly and Jacob guffawed.

"Reality check: that has a sliver of possibility in it…" he said and Troy smiled appreciatively.

"When hell finally freezes over." Jacob finished and his sister laughed along with him.

"Thanks for believing, thank you so much." Troy said sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

"Honestly Dad, Mom wouldn't let you get near her even if you're the last man on earth that could save her." Jacob told him and Troy knew he was right.

"So, what could I do?" he turned to his daughter. Savannah gave him a wink and a smile.

"Leave it to us Daddy. We'll take care of everything." Troy put his hand on his heart and nodded.

"Cross your heart?" his son added and Troy crossed his heart with his finger.

"Hope to die?" his daughter added and Troy nodded.

"I promise…" he assured them and Savannah gave him a death glare.

"Dad, if you do anything that would break this promise, I'm going to be immensely, incredibly, forever and ever disappointed in you." Savannah said in an authoritative tone and Troy knew she was serious about this, he nodded.

"And you son?" he looked over at Jacob.

"As you can see, Mom hardly gives second chances. This plan means: don't screw up." Jacob said lightly and Troy nodded once more.

"Alright, I'll leave it up to you…" he told his kids and started going down the tree.

* * *

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter IV**

Sharpay went out the garden and walked toward her little niche at the back. When she was young she loved coming out there to play and one day, she found this little space in the garden that was unnoticeable unless you stared really hard. She was playing hide and seek with Ryan when she chanced upon it and she went there ever since to think things through.

Right now, she passed through the thicket that separated her from the world and sat down in the center of the little clearing. Sharpay sighed and laid down on her back staring up at the skies. It had been fourteen years and now her son knows about his father. Jacob was civil to her but he doesn't stay around the mansion. Often he goes out early and comes home in time for dinner. Sharpay didn't mind, she thought that he was rebelling or something until she noticed a change in her son. Jacob seemed to be, happy. Maybe he met a girl?

She continued pondering about it when she heard the thickets rustle and looked up to see her brother wiggling through. He managed to get himself into the clearing but he was a mess! Twigs and leaves clung to his hair and outfit and his hat got stuck; him being hatless made him look like a stranger and Sharpay giggled.

"What's so funny?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

"You look weird without the hat." Sharpay quipped and Ryan rolled his eyes.

"And you, you are becoming a recluse. What's with the self-isolation you've been doing?" he snapped as he tried to save his fedora from the evil clutches of the thicket.

"I have not been isolating myself, Ryan." she scoffed and frowned at him.

"Then why are you hiding in this hard to reach, God forsaken area of the garden?" he asked her with raised eyebrows finally managing to get his hat.

"If you must know, dearest brother, I am thinking about things." Sharpay said placidly and closed her eyes feeling Ryan sit down next to her.

"You're _thinking_?! Oh my God, that's like big news!"

"Hardy-har-har… this is coming from the guy who couldn't read 'GO DRAMA CLUB!'"

"Shar, that's like 23 years ago, I'm two years away from 40 and so are you. I think I've matured since then."

"Can you please not remind me?"

"Not remind you what?"

"My age Ryan, my age – I don't feel like becoming F-O-R-T-Y yet."

"It's not like you'll be stuck at 23 forever you know."

"Why 23?"

"I know you only to well, if there's a chance in heaven, you'd bring yourself back to that age and say 'Hell no' when Troy went down on one knee and showed you that awesome ring."

"And miss my life with Jacob? No way…"

"Way…"

"If we talked about this when I was 25 and my son was as naughty as hell-"

"Pain in the ass…"

"Then I would've told you 'Way'. My son's all I have in this precious world…"

"Actually, you also have a daughter…"

"What? Oh! It's been so long Ry, I don't know why but since Savannah isn't here…"

"Quite understandable."

Sharpay sighed and sat up, bringing her knees to her chest. She remembered the daughter she didn't get the chance to know. How is Troy bringing her up? Sharpay had a feeling that just like her, Savannah was being spoiled…

"How do you think Troy's doing with my daughter?" she wondered aloud.

"I bet she's a handful…"

"Well, seeing that Troy didn't give her back or whatnot, I think pretty fine." Sharpay muttered to herself. Ryan was shocked by her next question,

"Should I marry again?"

"Who would want to marry _you_?" he exclaimed his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Sharpay gave him a glare,

"At least someone did! Unlike you…" she said with smirk.

"I prefer being single…" Ryan defended himself and crossed his arms giving Sharpay a pout.

"And let people think you're gay…"

"I am not gay!"

"Prove it, how many dates, with a _girl _have you had?"

"…to many to mention…"

Sharpay had to laugh at this one. Ryan rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue at her.

"RyRy… I'm craving for some strawberries…"

"Go get them yourself, PayPay…"

"Not a chance! It's a day before Thanksgiving and I promised Mother I would take charge of decorating the dining room and checking on the food, stuff like that…"

"It's not Thanksgiving yet…"

"But you aren't going to do anything tomorrow Ry..."

"We have a bowl of them in the kitchen, and you have two perfectly functioning pair of feet."

"Ryan you are utterly lazy…"

"And so are you. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go spend some time with my nephew…"

"Sure, as if he's home. He won't talk to me you know…"

"He'll come around…"

"Convince him otherwise?"

"I'll try sis…"

"Thankyou..."

Ryan left his sister lying on the grass and went back to the mansion. He spied Jacob talking excitedly with someone on the phone and rush out to call the driver. Ryan decided to play detective thinking that he's nephew found a date. He went to the garage and spotted his scooter. He rushed to get a coat and discreetly followed Jacob.

Sure enough, his nephew arrived in front of a house, which looked remarkably familiar. Jacob waited at the door and after a while, a girl came out. Ryan Evans was shocked, the girl looked just like Sharpay! He parked his scooter and rushed to the door. He rang and rang impatiently waiting for anyone to open the door. He was about to kick it open when Troy Bolton answered the door.

"Hey Ryan, what's up?" he asked. Ryan gaped at him.

"Troy? What're you doing here?" he stammered and Troy gave him an odd look.

"Thanksgiving." Troy explained and asked Ryan to step inside. He gave the blonde man a look-over. Ryan's hairline was receding but he was still scrawny.

"You haven't changed a bit." Troy remarked and Ryan snorted.

"I've always known you were queer Troy." Ryan quipped and gave Troy a look-over too. He noticed that the bangs were gone, wrinkles were starting to appear but his lean body was still intact.

"I didn't know you were queer too Ryan." Troy retorted noticing Ryan's eyes.

"It's been too long…" Ryan replied and looked around the house.

"Why are you here?" Troy suddenly questioned.

"Well, earlier today I wanted to spend time with my nephew but he went out. I followed him here and now I'm here!" Ryan said brightly trying to explain.

"You could've gone back to your sister to report but why decide to announce your presence?"

"I am not her lapdog Troy!" Ryan spat and Troy knew he'd gone too far.

"Hey! I'm sorry man… I didn't mean to…" he was cut off by his daughter's voice.

"Daaaaddd?! Why are you taking forever to answer the door?" Savannah called out worriedly.

"I'm fine honey!" Troy called out to assure her. Ryan looked excited.

"Is that…?" he started to ask when he saw a girl bound into the hall. She gave him a look which suddenly became starstruck and she squealed.

"Oh my God you're Ryan Evans!" Savannah squealed and approached him. Jacob rushed to the hall at the sound of his uncle's name.

"Hi!" Ryan told her just as excitedly and beamed. He finally met his niece!

"I have watched all your plays! Well, not when you're actually performing but Daddy buys me all your DVD's! I can't believe you're here standing in front of me!" she blabbered.

"And I can't believe our uncle followed me here." Jacob said disappointedly.

"Uncle? Oh shoot I nearly forgot! Oh my God yes! You're Sharpay Evans', my mother's, brother! This is too much!" she cried out and gave a theatrical faint and Troy caught her.

"Is she always this hyper?" Ryan asked worriedly and took out a bottle of perfume. He sprayed a bit in front of Savannah's face and she automatically awoke.

"You already know your mother?" Ryan blurted, he didn't count on that.

"Of course I did! Dad couldn't stop talking about her." Savannah said matter-of-factly.

"You couldn't?" Ryan turned to Troy.

"Is that bad?" he asked.

"I didn't count on it, I mean she went berserk when she asked you to leave." Ryan muttered.

"I forgave her years ago…" Troy shrugged and Ryan turned to his niece.

"You look so much like Sharpay…" he muttered and Savannah giggled.

"Thank you…" she curtsied and suddenly hugged him, Ryan was surprised but he hugged her back with a smile.

"I've always wanted to meet you…" she whispered in his ear.

"Hey Sav, he could help us." Jacob called and Savannah looked up and beamed.

"Help you where?" their uncle asked, looking confused.

"We're gonna bring Mom and Dad back together." Jacob explained and Troy pouted.

"How come he gets to help?" he whined and crossed his arms like a little boy.

"Silly Daddy, you get to carry out the plan. Isn't that better?" he's daughter cooed and Troy rolled his eyes.

"Fine honey… I'm going to go out, d'you want anything?" he asked her.

"Can I go with you?" his son asked and Troy nodded. It would be nice to bond with Jacob.

"Yes Daddy, don't do anything rash and please bring us home burger." Savannah called out dragging Jacob and Ryan to the living room.

"Sure thing…" Troy called out to her and headed to his car.

When he was gone, Ryan turned to his niece. "Are you sure he'll not do anything rash?" he questioned. Savannah gave him a look that would've made Sharpay proud.

"Duh…" she answered and smirked.

Ryan raised his eyebrows and inwardly groaned. He was looking at a miniature version of Sharpay, a more refined version…

~***~

Troy and Jacob drove to McDonalds chatting about basketball all the way. He decided to park his car and just order inside since there was a long line of cars by drive-thru. He asked Jacob to stand in line for him since he felt the need to relieve himself. When he got out, he suddenly noticed a flash of blonde passing the windows of McDonalds.

Instinct made him go out and chase after her. He got as far as the sidewalk and almost called out to the woman. It was indeed Sharpay! Troy was about to open his mouth when he remembered his promise to his daughter. Jacob had been watching the whole scene and was really amazed that his Dad was able to keep a promise like that. His sister really got him wrapped around her finger.

Jacob went out and stood beside Troy holding the take-out order. He looked at his mother as she entered a boutique across the street. Laughing, he snapped his fingers in front of his entranced father and waited for him to respond. Troy blinked a few times and looked at his son.

"Wow, when Savannah tells you not to do anything rash, she really meant business, huh." Jacob remarked making Troy grin awkwardly.

"I don't think you've seen the way she went berserk when I didn't keep a promise." Troy said.

"But being the Dad, she can't just sass you." Jacob remarked and Troy shook his head.

"She didn't; she just has a way of making you feel that you've done something incredibly, horribly, irrevocably wrong." Troy muttered and Jacob looked confused.

"How does she do that?" he asked in wonder.

"She gives you a disappointed frown, shrugs and tells you its ok. Then she goes back to her room and doesn't talk to you for a while." Troy explained and Jacob snorted.

"She is just like Mom. She does the exact same thing and you feel like you let the world down." Jacob mused and Troy grinned at his son.

"A chip of the old block, I see…" he commented and the two laughed making people give them strange looks.

"Let's get out of here." Troy muttered and the two went back to the car and drove back home.

When they arrived, Savannah greeted them and took the burgers to the kitchen. Troy followed her and sat down after getting himself a bottle of water. Jacob sat beside him and Ryan came in after a while. Savannah munched on her viand and then looked at her brother.

"Did he do anything rash?" she interrogated and Jacob couldn't help but feel nervous.

"No." Jacob answered and his sister gave him a skeptical look.

"So what happened?" she continued her interrogation.

"We went over to McDonalds, and then Dad went to the comfort room. He came out and saw Mom pass by and was about to chase her and call out when he stopped himself in time. Then we went home." Jacob said in a monotone as if giving a daily report on a prisoner. Savannah smiled at her father who was watching the conversation unfold with anxiety.

"Wow Dad…" she told him proudly and Troy smiled at her.

"Why then, do you not want me to do anything rash honey?" he asked her.

"Because it would ruin the plan." Savannah explained and Troy rolled his eyes.

"What plan is this anyway?" he asked her giving a puppy dog face.

"Oh alright! I'll tell you after I eat…" she answered him and rolled her eyes.

"Yes!" Troy cried triumphantly punching a fist to the air and did a victory dance. Savannah giggled madly as her father went around the room doing his little dance while Ryan and Jacob watched with shock imprinted on their faces. Apparently, this is one side of Troy they haven't, or have never thought, seen before.

After eating, Savannah lead them all back to the living room and made Troy sit down in front of her. Ryan and Jacob sat on either side of her and they looked like Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell about to judge Troy. He looked at the three nervously and waited.

"Well? What's the plan?" he asked them and started twiddling his thumbs.

"Well Daddy, after Thanksgiving, we are going to the reunion party at East High." Savannah started and Troy interrupted her, "I know that, what then?" he asked hurriedly.

"Let me finish?" his daughter with a raised eyebrow and Troy bit his lip and nodded.

"You socialize and everything but me and Jacob will make sure that you and Mom meet. Uncle Ryan will make sure Mom can't escape and you will ask her to dance…"

"Wait, we'll just dance?"

"Yeah, and then you have to schmooze her to go out with you to a family dinner. Now that she met me, I'm sure she'll agree…"

"Go out with me? Ryan she hates me!"

"But you'll be with us, its going to be alright Troy."

"Yeah, Mom is just too stubborn; I think she'll be civil this time. She'll get over it."

"Ok, I don't like where this is going…"

"After our family dinner, I'll ask Mom to go shopping with me…"

"She'd love that Savannah, at last, Mom has someone to go crazy with as she patrols every boutique in Albuquerque…"

"Shut up Jacob…"

"Ok… please continue?"

"But before that, you'll ask her if she wants to go camping with us."

"Wait, what if she says no?"

"You have to try next Uncle Ry."

"Me?!"

"Yeah Uncle…"

"Ok…"

"Then, we go camping, what happens next?"

"It would be pretty predictable that Mom would freak and that you two would argue."

"_Thanks_, then?"

"We'll ditch you and leave a map in your backpack. You and Shar have to go find us…"

"Ha! That'll be easy… we'll just take the path you took…"

"No you can't Troy, your map is specifically designed to go the long way."

"I made sure of that Daddy."

"How so, honey?"

"Grandpa Vance allowed us to take the Range Rover to our designated rendezvous spot, so we get there faster. And your route does not have any shortcuts."

"Well Daddy, it does, but then you have to be a real professional trekker, which you aren't, so please stick to the trail, ok?"

Troy looked at the three in shock. They're going to make them get back together by force? And in a forest where danger lurks? How could his kids be that crazy!

"Don't worry Daddy, the forest is pretty safe, as long as you follow the trail." Savannah said condescendingly. Troy shook his head.

"No honey! What if something happens?" he chastised and Savannah rolled her eyes.

"Dad, trust me on this one. We'll be the one packing your backpack for you. You will have a first aid kit, thick blankets, a flare and a pistol, just in case…" she assured him.

"Can we get back together some other way?" he pleaded.

"The only time Mom listens to someone about something she doesn't like is by force. And Savannah told me you promised her that you'll go camping." Jacob intervened smoothly.

"How stubborn can Sharpay be?" Troy asked Ryan in defeat and his kids high-fived.

"Depends." Ryan answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"No, really…" he whimpered. Ryan put a hand on Troy's shoulder and looked into his eyes.

"Sharpay is a very unpredictable person. Just take charge when she's freaking out and you'll both be fine." Ryan assured him.

"Well, will you look at the time! Mom said she wants us home before dinner. Bye Dad, bye Savannah!" Jacob called to them and led his uncle through the door.

When they were gone, Troy gave his daughter a look and groaned. Savannah sat beside her Dad and put her head on his shoulder. Troy pulled his daughter closer and kissed her forehead.

"Do you want us to get back together that bad?" he whispered. She nodded.

"I could just sweep her off her feet you know. I still have the looks and the charm…" he whispered again hoping she'll changer her mind. Savannah giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Daddy, I know you really want to back out of this but do it for me?" she pleaded sweetly.

"I'll think about it." Troy assured her and Savannah sat up with a pout.

"Please?" she gave him her best puppy dog face and Troy knew he had to give in.

"Fine." Troy agreed and his daughter flung herself to him with a squeal of delight. Troy hugged her tightly and thought, anything for his little girl.

~***~

Jacob came home looking much happier than before and Sharpay became really suspicious. Throughout dinner she tried to pry the name out of her son's mouth but did not succeed. She decided to interrogate her brother with no such luck. She huffed and Ryan decided to placate her by watching one of their musicals in the theater room.

Vance and Derby were left with their grandson in the dining room. Desert was served and the older Evans ate quietly eyeing their grandson who seemed to be having the time of his life.

"You seem to thoroughly enjoy your desert." Vance remarked.

"Our life's about to change!" he answered happily.

"How so, dearest?" Derby inquired looking at her grandson with interest.

"Well Grandmother, my sister and I formulated a plan to bring our parents back together!"

"Is that what you need the Rover for?"

"Yes Grandfather."

"May we know this plan of yours then?"

"Well…alright… we'll go to a camping trip with Dad and Savannah and ditch Mom and Dad…"

"Excuse me? Do you mean you'll leave them in the middle of the forest?!"

"Not quite, Grandfather. We'll leave them in the middle of a tedious trail that will lead them back to us."

"How does the Rover come into play?"

"I think that it will be used to take the three of them to the rendezvous spot faster, darling."

"Will it Jacob?"

"Yes Grandfather."

"Do we have to consent to this?"

"I think it will be thrilling Vance darling!"

"Yes I do think it too Derby, but are you sure they'll come out alive?"

"Vance! How could you think that…?"

"I'm just being realistic here…"

"Yes Grandfather, they'll be safe as long as they follow the trail."

Vance sighed in defeat. Derby placed a hand on top of his.

"They will be fine, I would not think that Troy would let anything happen to Sharpay as I do not think that Ducky will let his niece and nephew will be in any form of danger."

He looked up at his wife and smiled.

"We'll cross our fingers and hope for a wedding by Christmas."

"Don't we all." Jacob agreed and excused himself to go to his room and inform his sister about this piece of information.

~***~

"Savannah?"

"Jacob."

"Grandfather and Grandmother agreed to our plan."

"Really, so did Grandma and Grandpa over here!"

"Grandfather even joked that they'll be crossing their fingers for a Christmas wedding."

"What did you tell him?"

"Don't we all?"

Savannah laughed on the other line.

"Of course we do, even Dad."

"Only Mom stands in the way!"

"Not for long…"

"Let's just hope your right about it…"

"Yeah…"

"Night Jacob!"

"Night Sav…"

Click.

* * *

Ta-dum! The plan is revealed and all is left is for it to be set into motion...  
I hope their conversation doesn't confuse you, it's just the characters bantering and by sentence construction hopefully you'll figure out whose talking. If it still confuses you, you can PM me and I'll edit it.

Please review.. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter V**

Troy awoke to the smell of pancakes and his bed moving. He raised a sleepy eyelid and saw through a hazy blur a cloud of something yellow. Then he heard a distant voice telling him to get up. Troy groaned and rolled over. Suddenly he felt his comforter being dragged away from and he groaned trying to snatch it back but his hands only felt air. He heard a giggle and finally sat up to see his daughter at the foot of his bed, her hands on her hips and her hazel eyes blazing with mischief.

"I thought you were a morning person Daddy." Savannah remarked playfully.

"I have my days…" he replied just as playfully and got the comforter his daughter handed him.

"It's Thanksgiving and Grandma wants you up and running!" she cried before skipping out of the room. Troy couldn't help but smile as he went to the shower and got dressed.

He got down and saw his family gathered around the table and his mother serving pancakes. He took a seat beside his daughter and started on his breakfast. Lucille sat at the other end of the table from Jack and looked at her son.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" she cried brightly making Troy choke on his pancakes. Lucille immediately became worried, "Are you alright?" she asked in concern. Troy grabbed his mug and sipped before answering her.

"I'm fine Mom." Lucille smiled and continued eyeing him happily. Troy put down his fork and knife and looked at her suspiciously.

"Are you alright?" he asked her and she actually giggled.

"I am, I'm incredibly alright! I have so much to be thankful for…" she gushed and Troy sat back, shock etched on his face. Jack cleared his throat and tried to explain his mother's strange behavior.

"We know of the plan son, and your mother here is thankful that you two are going to get back together." Jack explained and Troy grinned yet shook his head.

"We're not really sure it would work…" he began but his mom cut him off.

"Honey, we have faith in you. We know as much as you do that _it will work_…" she argued.

"I'm not saying it won't, I'm just saying that we're not really sure that _it will_…" he countered.

"Troy, don't say that! I can see it all over your face, you want her back badly too!" she bantered. Troy turned back to his pancakes, knowing his cheeks were bright red. His mom was 100% correct. He wanted to be back with his wife ever since she kicked him out. Savannah gave her grandmother a grateful smile.

~***~

It was a hectic day in the Evans mansion. Sharpay and Derby were trying to get everything perfect for Thanksgiving while the men watched them helplessly. Everything was already perfect, they couldn't fathom what was wrong; but like any Thanksgiving, they let the women get at it. They all mutually agreed to stay away from them and hid themselves in the haven of Vance Evan's study.

"I've got to say, I'm more excited about your school's reunion and the days after that than Thanksgiving itself." Vance told Ryan eagerly and was pacing back and forth the wooden parquet trying very hard not to bounce all around the room like an excited and hyper little boy. Ryan chuckled at his Dad's eagerness and also tried to control his composure. Jacob rolled his eyes at both of them knowing full well they'd rather do a victory dance in private than in front of each other.

"We're all psyched about it Dad! It's so hard to pent up energy like this, and believe me, it gets twice as hard because of Shar…" he rambled and his baby blue eyes shining like mad.

"What about Mom?" Jacob asked with curiosity. Ryan sighed and gave a theatrical shudder.

"She has this inhuman ability to sense when something big is going to happen. Just like Mom, so it's really hard to keep _anything _from her…" he explained and Jacob nodded his head.

"Are you sure that they won't die in this little plan of yours?" Vance asked with worry.

"A hundred percent sure, Grandfather." Jacob answered with a nod of his head.

"Alright, let's get through it one more time." Vance insisted and immediately Ryan and Jacob recited the plan.

"Mom and Dad meet via East High reunion, Mom finally meets Savannah." Jacob began.

"Troy acts surprised to see us and insist on a family dinner where we all have to look like we really haven't been hanging out together for the past three days." Ryan continued.

"During the dinner, Dad will invite Mom to go camping. We all would until she gives in."

"The grandparents will decline so it would just be us. I know Shar would want me to be there for her."

"When we get there, we will start the trek along with them. On a pre-arranged spot, we, meaning me, Savannah and Uncle, will create a diversion making Mom freak out on Dad and we'll escape using the Rover."

"What if she spots you?" Vance interrupted, Jacob expected this.

"She won't, me and Uncle made sure that the diversion would keep Mom very pre-occupied."

"And what shall this diversion be?" his grandfather asked.

"A fake rubber snake." Ryan whispered excitedly and Vance gave him a warning look.

"Princess is terrified of snakes!" he exclaimed and Ryan shrank back.

"Grandfather, it's just fake, and besides, Dad will be there to take it off her." Jacob explained.

"Just this once, after that, no more snakes for my Princess." Vance said angrily, "Continue."

"After the snake episode, we'll be gone and Mom would figure out everything. After she freaks out on Dad, she has to go with him and trek until they get to us."

"What if she just decides to turn back?" his grandfather asked.

"I don't think she will; you know Shar's the damsel in distress type. She'll stick to Troy." Ryan answered and Vance looked at them, a hand stroking his chin.

"So they head to you guys and be there by sunset?" his father finished.

"It depends on how they work together, Dad." Ryan shook his head. "The trail is quite challenging and it can take a day for them to reach the end if they freak out on each other."

"What if it doesn't work?" he questioned his son and Ryan looked a bit crestfallen.

"Then I don't know what else to do…" he answered his father. Vance sat on the leather chair behind his desk and looked up pleadingly.

"Let this experience bring them together…" he muttered reverently, his hands put together as if in prayer. Ryan and Jacob also gave their silent pleas to the heavens.

"It's time for Thanksgiving dinner!" Derby called through the heavy door and the three ended their reveries and headed to the dining room.

~***~

The Boltons gathered around the table that was filled with so much food, Savannah could swear she heard the table grumble and protest. Jack and Lucille sat at either end of the table as Troy sat across his daughter.

"Well Jack, can you do the honors?" Lucille asked with a flourish of her hand. It had been tradition that starting from the head of the family, they would all mention what they are thankful for.

"To start off, I'm thankful that I have finally met my grandson. All I could remember was just holding him as a baby and now, I can finally see him grow into a man…" Jack rambled on and Lucille cleared her throat and then it was her turn. She was thankful for nearly the same things as her husband and when she finished, she turned to Troy.

Clearing his throat, he began, "I am thankful to meet Jacob and be reunited with my ex-in-laws as well. But I am most thankful, that I am finally given a second chance, to be with my family again…" he finished and turned to his daughter.

"I'm thankful, that everybody's happy – that Daddy's finally going to be _truly _happy." Savannah said solemnly and there was quiet for a while. Savannah started digging into her food.

~***~

The Evans gathered around the elegantly decorated dining room and looked at the magnificent and mouthwatering feast that was on the table. Everybody sat down, and like the Boltons, had to mention what they were thankful for.

Vance started, "I am thankful that I am here, still alive and kicking, to witness more of the _happier _years to come in the life of my grandson," he didn't finish since Derby lightly kicked his shin and exclaimed, "I too am thankful, that our lives turned out what we wanted it to be. Through ups and downs, we have faced it head on and now, I am thankful for the _unity_…"

"That the Evans family showed that helped them prevail all obstacles in life." Ryan finished with a subtle warning look at his all too eager parents.

"Your turn, Princess." Vance called to his daughter. Sharpay smiled,

"I am thankful that the past is finally behind us and that I have finally found the will to really move on," she said simply and the smiles of the four other Evans turned quite sour.

"If I may intervene for a while, Jacob – Princess, what do you mean?" Vance asked curiously.

"Oh Daddy, the most amazing thing happened to me the other day! I was out shopping when I bumped into Jason Whitman, you remember Daddy? The son of Samuel Whitman, your business friend?" she rambled about how he took her out to lunch, did she mention that he is nearing forty and _still _a bachelor? Vance's smile became wider and faker when he heard his daughter's news.

"Is that so? Where is he living now?" he asked, trying to maintain his composure.

"Well – he lived in Washington but he's moving to New York! Isn't that exciting Daddy? More than just a coincidence, I say…" she fired rapidly leaving everyone dumbstruck in her wake.

"I'm thankful for my 'potential' new Dad." Jacob feigned happiness for the sake of his mom.

Thanksgiving dinner was suddenly somber and no one could really eat except Sharpay who was dreamily chewing on her turkey, her eyes clouded and her mind filled with that man, Jason Whitman…

* * *

Thanksgiving and bad news, what could possibly go on there??? :)  
Anyway, I'm sorry this one's a bit short. It's back to school and once again we are bombarded with a tidal wave of 'schoolwork.  
I'll try to post the next chapter soon as I can.. :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter VI**

Savannah seemed quite perturbed as she knotted her father's tie. Jacob called right after his Thanksgiving dinner to fill her in on the new potential threat to his mother. The two decided that they would deal with him after they ditch their parents and yet she was perturbed that her father might mess it up since there was competition.

"Savannah why are you trying to choke me?!" Troy gagged after his daughter pulled the tie hard.

"I'm so sorry Daddy!" she cried and immediately loosened the tie. Troy gulped in copious amounts of air.

"What seems to be the matter? Normally you brush my lapels and tell me not to ruin my suit," he remarked playfully and Savannah sighed.

"I'm just worked up is all," she answered him quietly. Troy didn't push the matter further.

"Excited much?" he asked her with a smile and she smiled back and nodded.

"Alright, remember, you're my date tonight. I'll show you off like we're in love and…" he joked.

"Bite me." she snapped and rolled her eyes as she linked hands with her father and dragged him downstairs.

"Good luck son!" Lucille called out to him and Jack gave a smile of encouragement.

Troy got into their rented car and drove off to East High.

~***~

"Shar, are you alright?"

"What? Well, I am kinda disappointed."

"May I know why?"

"Well, Jason said he couldn't come. He had to go to his doctor in Europe to treat his allergy. It's a rare one and the specialist he sees about it lives way over in England."

Jacob was doubled over in a laughing fit. Sharpay brought home the guy and he found out that Mr. Whitman was allergic to all kinds of meat except deer meat. So he sneaked in the kitchen and asked their chef to cook him up a steak. When no one was looking, he exchanged it with the deer meet and no one was the wiser.

Ryan had to fight with all his might not to whoop at the sheer ingenuity of his nephew. Sharpay seemed upset when Jason started having some sort of spasms and he was rushed to the hospital and immediately flown to Europe.

"Mom, are you ready to go yet?" Jacob poked his head through her door and subtly smiled slyly at his uncle who managed to return it without getting caught.

"Why yes darling, just a sec." Sharpay called out and finished applying her make up. After making sure she looked hot, she went out and kissed her parents goodbye.

She, Ryan and Jacob climbed the back of the limo and started toward East High.

~***~

East High gym was packed with family members and former Wildcats. Everybody was eager to see everybody and it was a very loud affair. Troy introduced his daughter to the former jocks and everyone looked at the young girl which reminded them of the former queen bee, Sharpay Evans. Savannah politely greeted them all and excused herself and started looking for her brother.

On the other side of the gym, the other members of the Drama Club recalled their former crushes on Troy Bolton as Sharpay introduced her son. Then they all fawned over at Ryan who, in their opinion, hasn't changed one bit. Jacob charmed them all and excused himself to find his sister.

The two met in the corner of the gym and silently disappeared through the double doors. They found an empty hallway near the gym and stood by the lockers.

"About this Jason guy..." Savannah started but Jacob cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Done," he said proudly and lowered his head and whispered, "with discretion." Savannah clapped her hands and had a big smile on her face.

"Ok, one more time, how are they going to meet?" Savannah then asked nervously and started wringing her hands like a fan, Jacob straightened his already straight tie,

"I lead Mom over to the bleachers near the food table after she sees my unkempt clothes - without her noticing of course." Jacob told them that Sharpay couldn't stand it when he didn't look neat enough for her.

"If you want that to happen maybe you should stop straightening your tie!" she hissed and Jacob shrugged, "Couldn't help it," he muttered and Savannah started rumpling his suit.

"Then I ask Dad to get me some punch…" she muttered while working and Jacob nodded.

"Ready?" he breathed nervously.

"It's now or never…"she mumbled and started breathing rapidly.

"We can do this…" he assured her.

Jacob and Savannah Bolton walked back to the gym and separated to find their parents and put their plan into action.

"Jacob, there you are – why are your clothes all rumpled?" Sharpay hissed.

"Too many people." Jacob said nonchalantly and shrugged. She rolled her eyes and took him by the elbow. Jacob tried not to be steered far from the food table and managed to find a spot behind it. He complemented himself silently for the accuracy of his spot – right behind the punch bowl.

Savannah smiled sweetly to her father, who really had no clue how he and Sharpay would meet, and told him that she was thirsty. Troy nodded and headed for the punch bowl. Savannah discreetly followed and was relieved that the plan was working well – except for the fact that Troy didn't seem to notice Sharpay who was busy fixing her son's tie.

Jacob saw Savannah's urgent signaling in the distance and glanced at his father getting punch, not realizing their presence. His mother was still busy straightening his tie and he had an idea.

"Mom, it's too tight!" he grumbled loudly and saw in the corner of his eye, Troy looking up.

"Well it's still too loose Jacob!" Sharpay snapped and was trying to re-knot it.

"I wouldn't choke him if I were you." Sharpay gasped and whirled dramatically to face the man with the familiar voice. After fourteen years he hardly looked like the basketball player she married. Here was a tall aging man, his dark brown hair slicked back, receding yet still shaggy and thick. He was wearing a cocky yet alluring grin and his ocean blue eyes boring into her brown ones made her weak in the knees. She saw the wrinkles starting to form around his face yet it only succeeded in making him more handsome than before. Sharpay inspected him up and down with her eyes. He was wearing a three piece dark grey wool suit, a crisp white shirt and coral blue tie, which was the one she gave him at Lava Springs - he has style, she noted. He was also still wearing his wedding ring. Sharpay couldn't speak, nor can the man before her.

Troy can feel time stop and everything froze when he gazed into her brown orbs. She stood there, in her coral pink tube, shock written across her beautiful features and wonder in her eyes. He noted, with some dash of pride, that she was still hot and sexy even though she was nearing middle age. Her blonde locks were worn loose and wavy but stylish and her make-up gave her a smoky look but not overdone. Sharpay looked femme fatal and Troy could feel his heart beat faster, something that hasn't happened in a long time - fifteen years to be exact. Her face and her expressions hadn't changed a bit though she looked more mature. Troy also noticed the wedding ring and his heart soared with hope and longing.

"Mom?" Jacob's voice seemed far away as Sharpay gaped at Troy. He gently pushed her hand away to close her mouth and walked over to his father.

"Hey Dad!" greeted Jacob and upon receiving no answer snapped his fingers in the middle of his parents gazes. Sharpay was the first to recover and she suddenly bristled and crossed her arms.

"Bolton." Sharpay acknowledged him icily, her demeanor rapidly freezing to become Ice Queen.

"Hey Pay…" Troy nodded glumly, looking heartbroken at her treatment of him. Hope was deflating fast and Jacob tried to defuse the situation.

"Mom I can't believe it's him!" Jacob eagerly exclaimed to his mother, deciding to test his acting skills to the test – but it was futile. Sharpay dragged him back to her and shot him a dirty look. Jacob signaled Troy with pleading eyes.

"Hey! I want to meet my son too." Troy said and tried to stop her. Sharpay just glared at him.

"Daddy!" Savannah exclaimed and got the punch Troy was holding in his hand and drinking it. She then linked her arm around his and attempted to drag him towards another area of the gym.

"C'mon Daddy, Uncle Chad is looking for you! And you owe me a ticket to Grease Daddy when we get back to LA, you made me wait for my drink." Savannah gave him a pout and Troy glanced at Sharpay's shocked face. She was eyeing her daughter and tears started to form in her eyes. He decided on a little revenge and turned to his daughter with a patronizing look.

"Sure thing honey, I'll be right there with you," he said and made a move to turn his back slowly but his daughter had a firm grip on him, "_Come on Daddy!_" she whined and started pulling him away.

"Wait!" Sharpay called out and Jacob let out a sigh of relief. His sister's ploy worked!

Savannah turned back to her mom and tried to hold back the urge to run and hug her.

"Oh my God you're Sharpay Evans!" she instead squealed and looked starstruck. Sharpay stopped and looked quite hurt as Savannah rushed to her and asking for an autograph babbling about how great she is on stage.

"…I mean I've seen _all _your plays, not to mention that you're my mom…" her daughter added the bit slightly and Sharpay held a hand up to stem the next flood of accolades.

"Could you repeat what you just said?" she asked and Savannah gave her a knowing smile.

"Not to mention that you're my mom?" she repeated and Sharpay clutched her heart.

"You know?" she asked weakly and Savannah immediately snorted and rolled her eyes.

"No, it was an intelligent guess, a hypothesis…" she said sarcastically and Sharpay frowned.

"How?" she muttered distractedly pulling on an invisible loose hem.

"That man over there," she pointed at Troy, "couldn't stop telling me _all _about _you_". Sharpay gazed at Troy who shrugged and gave her a goofy smile. She raised an eyebrow and he pouted.

"All he could ever do was talk about you, _Mom_." Savannah explained with a smile. Sharpay however, still look confused, "He does?" to which she nodded.

"_Everyday_ – even when I'm not asking," she said with a giggle. Sharpay smiled, she finally met her daughter and she looked fine. Troy wasn't a bad parent after all. The two hugged instantly and started chatting as Troy went over to his son.

"So far so good Dad," he commented and Troy nodded happily.

In a matter of minutes, Sharpay found out that her daughter was growing to be a privileged and spoiled woman who was always doted on by everyone around her - just like her. Inwardly her heart swelled with pride.

Suddenly a song started playing in the background (courtesy of Ryan Evans but Troy and Sharpay don't need to know that…) and Troy went over and offered his hand to his daughter.

"Dance with me?" he pleaded with his charming smile. Savannah shook her head and pointed at her mother. Sharpay raised an eyebrow, "You want me to dance with him?" she asked.

"Yep, the song's more for lovers and stuff…" she giggled. Sharpay shook her head. Savannah turned to her father, "Please dance with Mommy, Daddy," she pleaded ever so sweetly and Sharpay saw the reluctance in Troy's eyes and thought he was about to say no when he turned to her with that charming smile and offered his hand.

"May I take this dance?" he asked her and she rolled her eyes at him. Jacob however pushed his mother gently into Troy's awaiting arms and Sharpay stumbled over to him. She begrudgingly took his hand as he led her to the make shift dance floor.

_Some day, when I'm awfully low,  
When the world is cold,  
I will feel a glow just thinking of you...  
And the way you look tonight.  
_

Troy gently guided Sharpay's reluctant arms around his neck and then held her still slim waist as he started to move to the jazzy rhythm of Frank Sinatra. Sharpay gave him a look of pure hostility but Troy just closed his eyes with a smile on his face as he held her close and just swayed with the beat. Sharpay wanted to gag with all her might but her civility kept her from doing so.

_  
Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm  
And your cheeks so soft,  
There is nothing for me but to love you,  
And the way you look tonight.  
_

Sharpay couldn't help but fall into step with Troy who was humming; partly because she gets dragged around and people might stare and partly because she was starting to enjoy herself. She decided it was alright since she was assured that her daughter was raised well and that Troy wasn't doing anything to really tick her off. He just swirled her slowly while smiling and humming. He was wrapped in his own world, she didn't mind. It was better that way…

_  
With each word your tenderness grows,  
Tearing my fear apart...  
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,  
It touches my foolish heart.  
_

Savannah and Jacob watched as their mother danced with their father and were silently applauding themselves because their mother didn't freak as much as they expected her to. Ryan smiled at the sight. It was something he hadn't seen in a long time. He used to wretch at their icky little sweet nothings dance when they were dating but now, he wished he could witness it forever.

_  
Lovely ... Never, ever change.  
Keep that breathless charm.  
Won't you please arrange it ?  
'Cause I love you ... Just the way you look tonight.  
_

Troy spun Sharpay and dipped her, remembering how they used to enjoy dancing together and his heart ached suddenly. All his pent up emotions all rushing and pushing, wanting out! But he couldn't as of now – all he could do was appreciate her being at least civil to him.

_  
Mm, Mm, Mm, Mm,  
Just the way you look to-night._

The song ended and Sharpay immediately pushed herself away and went to her daughter whom she talked to the whole night. Savannah came back to Troy after the party and told him that the family dinner was a go and that it was time for the big Bolton-Evans reunion.

The party ended and everyone reluctantly started for home. It was good to be meeting everyone again, except for a few people. Troy met Gabriella, who was a bit tipsy, and she started to bitch about him.

"Oh my _Gaaaaddd_!!!" she drawled loudly, her words slurring because of the alcohol. Troy immediately stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her, concern in his eyes. Gabriella hiccupped and made her way over to him, her feet dragging and it was starting to cause a bit of commotion.

Matters almost became out of hand when Chad came to save his neck before Gabriella got any closer and started going ballistic. He and Troy ran over to Savannah who was waiting for him by the door looking daggers at her used-to-be stepmother. Sharpay passed them and bade her daughter goodnight immediately appeasing the situation.

Troy got into the car with his daughter who looked like she was in heaven. She was humming the song he and Sharpay danced to and he smiled before turning his eyes back to the road. He drove, occasionally glancing at her.

"Daddy, keep your eyes on the road." Savannah admonished.

"But I've never seen you so happy." Troy protested playfully and she clicked her tongue.

"And I don't want to go home dead after meeting my mother," she countered and they both shared a laugh. Troy pulled into the driveway and looked at his daughter.

"I have something to confess," he whispered and she looked at him eagerly.

"Yeah?" she asked softly.

"I'm happy when you're happy - and I will do most anything I have to, just to keep it that way," he whispered and she hugged him, sideways though since they were still in the car.

"I know Daddy," she whispered sweetly in his ear and kissed his cheek before getting out of the car. Troy smiled and followed her inside.

~***~

"Wow, I can't believe I met Dad." Jacob mused with a smile. Ryan smiled at him whereas Sharpay scoffed. Ryan gave her a warning glare and she muttered, "Yeah, me too…" and gave her brother an are-you-happy-now look and he just grinned at her.

* * *

Yay me! I've finally finished Chapter 6! :)  
It's just sad though that I don't get much reviews.. something to fill my dusty inbox.. :)

I've just noticed, that I am a fan of songfics.. and I have to include at least a oneshot of it in a chapter.. funny.. :)

Please review though! :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Home is Where the Heart Lives **

**Chapter VII**

Sharpay watched her son from her bedroom window as he ran around the backyard, his uncle chasing him because of his hat. She giggled as she saw her son jumping over bushes while her brother stumbled upon them. Then Jacob disappeared into the mansion and she knew it was her cue to go down before he starts whining in the foyer.

Jacob reached the foyer the same time Sharpay reached the landing and he looked at his mother with raised eyebrows. Ryan caught up with him, all sweaty and red-faced but also gazed at his sister with raised eyebrows. Sharpay frowned at the both of them.

"Is something wrong?" she asked and they both shook their heads. This didn't seem to satisfy her since they were still gaping.

"_Hello_! What is it?" she snapped and Jacob shook his head a bit and grinned slightly.

"You're right on time," he noted with a grin and Sharpay raised an eyebrow.

"I always am," she said haughtily and the two males guffawed.

"For the first time in history, Shar." Ryan interjected and she rolled her eyes at them.

"Well at least I'm not all sweaty," she snapped at her brother who hurriedly inspected himself in the mirror of the foyer. His eyes bulged as he noticed the sweat stains on his dress shirt and immediately dashed up the staircase to change. Sharpay and Jacob giggled and she ushered him to the living room.

The two sat on one of the sofas and she faced her son, a look of uncertainty in her features. Jacob eyed his mother and felt that what she was going to tell him was something major, she cleared her throat.

"I know I've made a big mistake by not telling you about your dad," she began and Jacob stood up immediately. Sharpay watched with a hurt expression as he went to the door, his face expressionless, but Jacob only closed it and she sighed with relief. Jacob sat back down.

"You were saying?" he asked her with a charming smile and Sharpay couldn't help but run her hand affectionately through her son's hair.

"I was so angry at him, you know. He left me, well he didn't, actually he quite neglected me, when I was carrying the both of you. And I thought that if he's going to be that way when you're both born, then I couldn't have him raising the both of you." Sharpay explained and Jacob gave her a nod of encouragement, she went on, "I was so angry at him, I mean – he said he'll do anything when he was still courting me!" she exclaimed and Jacob sniggered and she glared at him.

"I'm sorry Mom – but like Grandmother once told me, if I'm going to court someone I should be sincere. Girls hate it when you promise them the world but only give air," he said.

"Moving on, I'm glad that you've finally met him. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't even know how to begin about him if you'd ask me some twenty years down the road!" she exclaimed with a laugh. Jacob laughed along and mother and son hugged.

The other three Evans were listening with their ears pressed to the door. When they assumed that the conversation, all three pulled away. Derby got out her silk handkerchief and started dabbing at her eyes while Vance was sniggering.

"I haven't been this thrilled listening to someone else's conversation since I was a young man trying to hear if my parents accept Derby or not!" he whispered in an unusually boyish voice.

"You eavesdropped on your parents?" Ryan whispered back, shocked at his father's audacity.

"Hey, I was young once too you know!" his father whispered-yelled and wrapped his arms around his wife from behind. Derby leaned back and whispered something in his ear and kissed his cheek. The two were giggling and Ryan was freaked out by his parents.

"Stop it! I can't believe this, you're both in your fifties…" he hissed and rolled his eyes.

"That's what you call love Ducky, you should try it sometime." Derby joked and Vance giggled with her. Ryan gaped at his mother who stuck out her tongue at him like a teenage girl. His parents giggled some more and he was saved by Sharpay and Jacob going out the door.

"Finally!" Ryan exclaimed, very relieved that he doesn't have to witness anymore of his parents lovey-dovey acts. Sharpay looked at him curiously while Jacob watched his grandparents cooing.

"We'll be late," he remarked coolly and Ryan nodded vigorously as he ushered everyone out the door.

"Yes, we better hurry…" he said hurrying his sister and nephew out and dragging his parents who were still both giggling and oblivious to the world.

"What are they doing?" Sharpay leaned over and whispered to her brother. Ryan shrugged and averted his eyes on his parents, fearing he might be scarred for life. Sharpay gaped at them, they haven't done this since she was in high school – but then again, she doesn't live in Albuquerque anymore.

"Did you and Dad use to do that?" Jacob whispered at his mother who gave him a look. Ryan however, leaned over and whispered, "Much worse than them. They _actually _started making out…" and received a punch from his sister who was blushing furiously while her son sniggered. The drive to the Bolton residence was filled with cooing (from the Evans couple) and bickering (from the Evans siblings). Jacob immediately rushed out of the limo the moment it stopped while his mother, uncle and grandparents slowly got out of the car.

Jack Bolton opened the door for them and Jacob hugged him briefly before rushing inside to look for his sister. Ryan nodded at Lucille who appeared behind her husband and also went inside. The older Evans greeted the older Boltons and the four went inside leaving Sharpay standing on the porch fuming at the lack of attention.

Troy observed her fuming to herself right there on the door. Sharpay was too busy huffing about stuff and did not notice his presence. He just stood there and took in all her beauty. Sharpay stopped her mumbling and stared into the deep blue pools of the man who once owned her heart in holy matrimony. He was looking at her and his blue orbs were just dancing with amusement and she instantly calmed down.

"My father can be a bit oblivious when the ones he's expecting arrives. Want to get inside? It's cold." Troy held the door for her and flourished his arm accompanied by a respectful bow like a butler and Sharpay giggled as she walked inside.

"At least he taught you some manners," she commented as she took off her coat. Troy got it for her and hung it in the closet. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Yeah, coz I was a primitive as a toddler," he muttered sarcastically and led her to the kitchen. Sharpay leaned against the counter and watched him prepare food for dinner.

"So you dragged me here to watch you cook?" she asked him while Troy stirred a pot with soup. He chuckled and shook his head.

"I dragged you here to talk," he explained and turned off the stove putting the lid back on the pot.

"Talk about what?" Sharpay asked and folded her arms across her chest.

"Well, now that our children have met, I think it's right if we become civil towards each other."

"Aren't we being civil right now?"

"Oh yes, we are… but I mean in the future…"

Troy shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. Sharpay inwardly found it adorable, even in his late thirties Troy Bolton still acted like a teenager.

"You want us to remain civil at all times for the sake of our children." Sharpay finished for him and he nodded gratefully.

"And I also want us to be…friends."

"Friends?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's been 14 years Sharpay."

Sharpay rolled her eyes and nodded.

"You seem reluctant." Troy pouted and she sighed.

"Alright Troy, friends it is." Sharpay gave in and watched him whoop and dance around.

"_Sooo_… will you go camping with the day after tomorrow?" he asked with a boyish grin.

"What?" she cried, not sure if she heard him correctly. Troy shrugged.

"It's a family tradition with me and Sav," he tried to explain and Sharpay frowned.

"I like being adventurous Troy and thanks for the offer but I don't really think I'm alright with sharing a tent with you in the middle of the woods - just like that" Sharpay snapped her dainty fingers at the last part as she politely declined.

"But Pay! Jacob's coming, and Sav would love it if you'll come too," he whined and Sharpay shook her head.

"No Troy, we are not going camping," she snapped.

"Why not?" he pouted and stared at her intently Sharpay just shrugged.

"I'm not sure what you are up to, Bolton but I think we have to take this _slowly_."

"This 'what' slowly Pay? We're just camping…"

"Oh come off it Troy! I can see it that your daughter has already begged you to bring the whole family back together but when I asked you to leave I meant it!" she hissed and Troy recoiled.

"Is that what you think this is about?" he asked quietly.

"What else will it be about?" she snapped harshly.

"Bonding time with your kids? Seriously I wouldn't even touch you," he muttered sadly and busied himself with preparing dinner.

"Damn right you won't Bolton." Sharpay said coolly and was about to walk out when,

"Why do you have to be so resistant?" she heard him mutter and walked back to the kitchen.

"What did you say?" she asked and Troy looked up at her, question in his eyes.

"Huh?" he stammered and Sharpay stomped her foot in irritation.

"You asked why I have to be so resistant?" she said vehemently, her eyes narrowing down like slits and Troy involuntarily gulped.

"I didn't think you'd hear it…" he stammered back and Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"A likely story!" she scoffed, "Now tell the truth Bolton! What?! You think I'm a prude?!"

"N…n…no!" he cried out and Sharpay laughed derisively and shook her head.

"Don't bullshit me Troy! You think that I'm such a prude I couldn't go to the woods without worrying about my manicure or the fact that you could take advantage of me, now don't you?!" she nearly bellowed and Troy actually took a few steps back.

"Yeah well partly but I was thinking more of…" but that's as far as Troy got.

"I'll show you Bolton! I am _not _a prude! I'll go to that damn camping trip!" she yelled and walked out of the kitchen.

When he was sure she was gone, he chuckled to himself. His drama skills paid off big time! Savannah walked over to him from her hiding place by the dining room and hugged her father tightly. Jacob walked in too and gave his father a high five.

"Wow Daddy! You're acting skills aren't as rusty as I thought they were!" she complemented.

"Anything for my little girl," he replied affectionately and kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, Mom really thought you called her a prude." Jacob was laughing. Ryan joined them afterwards and complemented Troy too.

"I swear it's as if Darbus made you her protégé!" he pretended to gush and laughed. Troy asked his kids to help set the table while he finished cooking. Jacob and Savannah got plates and silverware and went to the dining room. Ryan noticed a dreamy look on Troy's face and snapped his fingers in front of his face.

"What's going through your head?" he asked playfully.

"A penny for your thoughts – your sister was _never _a prude." Troy whispered nonchalantly leaving Ryan dumbstruck in the middle of the kitchen, his mouth agape, staring wordlessly at his sister's ex-husband.

~***~

Dinner was served.

Everybody gathered around the table and inhaled the delicious smell of food courtesy of Troy Bolton. When everybody was in their seats, they started to dig in and it was quiet for a while except for the clinking of silverware on plate and the occasional "please pass the (insert food name here)"

Troy stole a glance at Sharpay who looked a bit irritated as she chewed on her salad. He chuckled to himself; she still wouldn't eat steak. He took a big bite of his own dinner when Jack turned to Sharpay and asked, "Did Troy really call you a prude?"

Sharpay looked up at him and Troy eyed them both as he chewed his dinner faster with anxiety while waiting for her answer. She shot him a sly smile and turned to his father,

"Well, I'm not mad at him I assure you but…" she stopped. Her words had the desired effect. Jack dropped his silverware and gave Troy a shocked look and Lucille frowned at her son. Vance and Derby gave him quite dirty looks while Jacob and Savannah giggled silently to themselves. Ryan's ears perked when he heard the word 'prude' but decided to leave himself out of it.

Troy however choked on his big piece of meat and started coughing and hitting his chest with his fist as he tried to say no. Suddenly he couldn't breathe anymore and was flailing his arms about. Savannah immediately stood and started patting her father's back, a look of true worry on her face. Jacob hurried to help her and they managed to make Troy spit out the offending piece of grilled beef and give him a glass of water. Sharpay was awed by the way her daughter was concerned for Troy. Her face was near tears though she tried to hide it as the rest of her family sat in inaction, still in shock mode.

"I'm sorry. I didn't call Sharpay a prude; I guess I'm going to excuse myself a bit." Troy immediately got up from his chair, grabbed his plate and went to the kitchen. Savannah hurried behind him.

"Savannah, I'm fine honey, go and finish your dinner." Troy told his daughter as he put his plate on the sink and was walking out of the kitchen. However, she stood her ground.

"What she did wasn't funny Daddy," she sniffled and Troy hurried over to her.

"She didn't mean to make me choke, honey," he whispered as he hugged her. Savannah was crying softly on his shoulder.

"What's the matter?" he asked her and she pulled away but he still held her.

"Daddy, you didn't just choke – you were slightly turning blue!" she whimpered and Troy held her close, "Was I?" he asked her lightly and she cried some more.

"I thought I was gonna lose you…" she whispered and Troy chuckled.

"It's not funny." Savannah whispered aghast and pouted at him, he chuckled some more.

"I'm just touched that's all," he softly cooed and kissed her forehead. Savannah smiled through here tears and hugged her father close. Savannah Bolton couldn't bear the thought of losing the one man who single-handedly raised her and gave her the world.

~***~

Sharpay watched this little scene unfold through the door between the kitchen and dining room. She was touched at how much her daughter loved her father and felt a pang of jealousy. She loved him as much fifteen years before; but now her daughter loved him more than she loved her. Sharpay always thought that Troy would be a bad parent, now she was proved entirely wrong. Somehow she wanted to be that person in Troy's shoes, being hugged by her daughter.

Jacob really didn't show her that much affection, reserving it for his grandparents. Sharpay suddenly felt that _she_ was the bad parent. She sneaked off to the back porch and sat down by the swing the Boltons had wishing she could go back to her little niche. She looked up to see her father walking towards her. Vance sat beside his daughter and put his arm around her.

"Troy could cook one hell of a meal," he began dreamily, patting his stomach.

"Is that so?" she giggled through her quiet sobbing and looked at her father's brown eyes, much like her own. Vance tweaked her nose playfully.

"You know what I saw in the kitchen Daddy?" she asked him sadly.

"What Princess?" he asked her and started stroking her blonde locks fondly.

"A scene just like this." Sharpay told him and snuggled close to her Daddy.

"Oh, another lovable woman just like you who has her father fawning over her?" he asked with a smile and Sharpay leaned back against his broad chest.

"Yeah, and now she's mad at me…"

"Now, now, I don't think so."

"Daddy, she said what I did wasn't funny…"

"Well Princess, no one, not even Troy knew that that was going to take place afterwards…"

"But she won't see me the same."

"You'll make it up to her somehow…"

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Sharpay hugged her father tightly and Vance hugged his daughter back just as tightly. He kissed the top of her head and ushered her back to the house.

~***~

Vance went back to the living room to talk with Jack and Lucille and Sharpay was left alone once again. She went over to the kitchen and found Troy doing the dishes. She went up beside him and started helping.

"I'm sorry," she muttered as she wiped one of the plates. Troy stopped and looked at her, Sharpay, however, didn't meet his eyes.

"What for?" he asked yet she still wouldn't look at him as she answered, "For making you choke."

"Nah, that's alright. You'll do the same thing fourteen years ago." Troy joked.

"I'm trying to apologize here." Sharpay snapped and Troy laughed.

"For what, Pay?" he asked her and she gave him a glare.

Savannah came into the kitchen and frowned at the sight of her mother. She immediately withdrew and her parents heard her stomping towards the back porch.

"You know Pay, if you're guilty about something, you should apologize to the right person." Troy told her with a smile and nodded his head in the direction of the back porch.

"She didn't choke," she said with irritation and he shook his head.

"I'm not upset over what you did. I knew you couldn't help it," he told her with a smile.

"Okay, but why should I apologize to Savannah?" Sharpay asked. She looked at Troy's blue eyes and suddenly realized how close they were. The intensity of his gaze made her want to seal the distance with her lips on his but she just stood there.

"She thinks you were trying to kill me." Troy explained simply and pulled away going back to the dishes he was washing. Sharpay huffed and folded her arms.

"C'mon Pay…" he nudged her in the ribs and she instinctively slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" she hissed more out of instinct than meaning it and Troy didn't look at her when he told her, "Just keep a steady conversation and don't get mad in front of her - no matter how stubborn she acts."

"Yeah, yeah…" she called and walked away feeling pangs of guilt. She didn't mean to do or say those words. It was just reflex from when she was still really mad at him.

Sharpay was out by the swing for the second time that night to make another apology, this time to her daughter. She sat down beside Savannah who refused to stare at her or give any indication that she knew her mother sat beside her.

"Savannah, darling…" Sharpay was pleading, her daughter wouldn't budge. She was growing irritated with her already and wanted to scream outright but then remembered what Troy told her.

"You know, I didn't mean to make your father choke like that. I mean, I didn't know it would even happen. It's like something we used to do before, he knew I was going to do something like that…" she tried to explain and her daughter glanced at her with a dirty look.

"He was turning blue." Savannah said icily and Sharpay instantly bristled.

"Do _not _take that tone with me," she warned in an authoritative voice. Savannah suddenly stood up.

"You almost killed him!" her daughter cried with indignation pointing an accusing finger at her mother who also stood up.

"I didn't mean to! No one knew that he was going to choke! If I did then I wouldn't have made the joke now, would I?!" Sharpay hurled the words at her daughter whose face contorted to match her mother's.

"He didn't call you a prude! What you did was incredibly juvenile and I saw you look at him before you answer!"

"Excuse me?! I looked at him to make sure he was going to pay attention to what I say-"

"And you saw him bite that big chunk of steak right before you answered! You knew he was going to choke!"

"It doesn't count! I didn't mean him to! I-"

"So you admit that you saw him bite that piece of meat which would inevitably lead to his early demise!"

"_What_?! Savannah I don't know what's gotten into you-"

Teenage angst was kicking and Savannah Bolton couldn't help herself.

"Murderer!" she shrieked with all her might at her mother. Sharpay's eyes went wide and she slapped her daughter with all her might.

"Don't you _ever _call me that!" she growled and by this time Ryan had rushed out and held her back as Troy ran over to his daughter and comforted her.

The others watched as Ryan tried to stop Sharpay who rushed into the house. Troy ran in her direction to talk to her and Jacob went over to his sister. The grandparents watched everything and resolved not to make matters worse – they would intervene when needed. Jacob sat down beside his sister and pulled her into a comforting hug.

"What happened?" he asked her gently.

"I was so upset you know. Daddy has been the best parent to me and I don't know, I really don't want to lose him. But I guess I did overreact." Savannah said in a timid voice.

"Mom was upset too," he tried to soothe her.

"I know, it's just that, Daddy was always there to protect me. I thought that it was like payback if I protect him too," she explained and Jacob chuckled.

"Ok, that's totally weird. I mean I understand the parent's need to protect their child, but the other way around?" he chuckled to himself and his sister huffed.

"Well if you must know there was this one time Daddy and I had a fight. I was so mad I ran away and I didn't know where I was going. I walked for hours on end and I ended up in this entrance to a dark alley. There was this guy who came up to me and he was creepy and all, I ran and he lumbered after me. I ran into another alley and he got me cornered then when I thought I was about to die I heard the skid of tires and saw Daddy rushing towards the guy. They fought and the guy got Daddy down and was beating him up. Daddy took his phone and threw it towards me, I immediately dialed 911, and then it was all a blur. He was in the hospital with lots of cuts and bruises and he didn't wake up for two days…" she was crying harder than before and Jacob understood her overprotectiveness. He hugged her and comforted her as she cried onto his shoulder.

Somewhere back in the house, Ryan was talking to Sharpay. She sat there fuming about how rude her daughter was. He looked up and saw Troy and went off leaving the two alone. Troy sat beside her and squeezed her hand then folded them together under his chin, his elbows resting on his knees. Sharpay gave a sort of disgusted look.

"Way to raise a rebel." Sharpay fumed and Troy just let her bash her daughter for a while.

"Do you want to know why she's like that?" he asked her when she stopped.

"Why?" she asked in a monotone. Troy told her the same story Savannah told Jacob.

"…I woke up and she was apologizing and she was crying her eyes out. Since then she was worried and everything. Doctors told me it was all trauma." Troy finished and Sharpay looked at him, her mouth agape.

"Really?" was all she could muster to say and when Troy nodded, she hurried out to find her daughter.

Savannah and Sharpay collided in the middle of the hall and Sharpay immediately pulled her daughter into a very tight hug. Savannah hugged her mother back fiercely then gently pushed her away.

"I'm sorry, had to breathe," she joked and couldn't look at her in the eye. Sharpay tilted her chin.

"Your Dad told me what happened," she told her daughter and Savannah looked at her blankly.

"It's alright with me, and I'm sorry I made him choke." Sharpay said and her daughter nodded.

"I'm sorry for calling you a murderer," she whispered and Sharpay gave her daughter another hug.

"It's alright. What do you say we forget about this and just go shopping tomorrow?" she asked. Savannah's eyes lit up with excitement and she hugged her mother tighter.

"I'd love to!" she exclaimed.

Troy was glad everything was settled between the two as he'd secretly been watching. Ryan went up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Soo, what d'ya think will happen? Are you going to be my brother-in-law again?" he asked with a smile. Troy glanced back at him and shrugged his shoulders grinning.

"Who knows – she wanted to take it slow," he said. Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Troy, you told me my sister wasn't a prude, but if there's one thing she's also not – it's slow. Shar knows what's right in the blink of an eye. I don't know how she does it but that's the way she rolls." Ryan told him with a grin of his own. Troy gave him a look full of questions.

"C'mon Troy, be da man!" Ryan answered and patted his back. Troy just scrunched his eyebrows and watched Sharpay and his daughter bond.

"So Dad, your not planning on spying on them all night are you?"

Troy spun at the voice of his son and gave him a sheepish grin. Jacob clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes.

"You know, I'll never understand why Mom just dumped you. I mean, if I say so myself, you are a great Dad."

"Well I wasn't a great Dad when she was carrying the both of you. I was terrified of being a father and her anger, coupled with pregnancy hormones, made her decide to throw me out."

"So how come she let you have Sav?"

"Oh – I got mad myself and kinda threatened her. I said I could pay for a lawyer good enough to get me the custody of both kids, so she had to agree – even if she hated the idea."

"Ok, but how come you didn't visit me?"

"Shortly after I left, your Mom got her big break in Broadway. She could also get a good lawyer herself – which she did. She threatened me and all…"

"Aaand?"

"Let's just say I was the greatest player of hide and seek."

"So she couldn't find you."

"Yep, and she couldn't keep the lawyer for long. It cost too much."

"How did you know that?"

"She suddenly focused on acting and stopped bugging me."

~***~

Finally it was time for the Evans to go home. Vance and Derby said goodnight to everyone and was first to head into the limo. Jacob didn't get to spend the night since he didn't have any clothes and Ryan ushered him to the limo. Before Sharpay left, Troy put a hand on her shoulder. She turned and gave him a look.

"Yes…Troy?" she looked hesitant using his name.

"Good night Pay. Don't forget our camping trip. We'll swing by around 7." Troy reminded her with that charming smile. Sharpay seemed unfazed and nodded.

"Don't forget our shopping trip tomorrow." Savannah also reminded her mother and Sharpay nodded enthusiastically.

"I'll pick you up at around 10 and drop off Jacob." Sharpay told her and glanced at Troy, "he wanted to play basketball with the boys."

And at that she turned dramatically and made her way to the limousine. The long black car pulled away from the Bolton residence and Savannah glanced at her father.

"May I borrow your credit card?" she asked sweetly giving him her puppy dog eyes.

"Just don't max it out." Troy answered her, his eyes averted and father and daughter went back to the house.

* * *

Alright! :) Chapter 7's finally done.. :) What do you think???  
I'm sorry there's not much Troypay in here, though there are snippets.. But it's coming soon, I promise! :)

Help me out though, should I still make a chapter of mother-daughter bonding time or jump straight to the camping trip???


	8. Chapter 8

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter VIII**

At exactly ten in the morning, Sharpay punctually pulled up in front of Troy Bolton's house. Jacob immediately got out of his mother's pink mustang (what do you know, they kept it!) looking immensely scandalized and hurried to his father's front door. Sharpay however gazed at her car fondly and locked it before sauntering up beside her son who ringing the doorbell quite furiously.

"C'mon, open up…" she heard him mutter irritably and placed a hand on his back.

"Jacob, darling, manners." Sharpay reminded him and he stopped with a defeated look.

Finally Jack opened the door looking a bit disheveled and was surprised to see them both.

"Oh! Hey I'm sorry," he clumsily tried to tie his bathrobe while talking to them, "We slept kinda late last night…." Jack continued to mutter and Sharpay nodded her understanding and followed her son into the house. Jacob made a beeline for the kitchen and Sharpay got there after him and saw Troy making pancakes. She remembered that he used to make pancakes for her with little heart shapes – just before the twins.

Smiling at the memory, she inhaled the delicious smell, something she hasn't smelled in years. Suddenly there was a plate in front of her stacked with three pancakes, shaped like hearts with low-fat whip cream on top and sliced chocolate-drizzled strawberries all around the bottom. Sharpay looked up in time to see Troy giving her a wink and a salute before returning to his cooking.

"Troy, it's ten in the morning, don't you think it's too late for breakfast?" she asked and Savannah, who had a mouthful of pancakes, shook her head.

"Wsh shlpt lathe, andh…" she had to swallow, "We slept late, got up late, and now it is still breakfast time for us," she explained with a gracious smile before going back to her pancakes, which, Sharpay noticed, were shaped like teddy bears covered in strawberry syrup. _Troy must've spent a lot of effort doing that_, she thought.

"Besides, I saw you salivating on the kitchen floor." Troy quipped and Sharpay rolled her eyes as Savannah and Jacob, who was also given pancakes which were shaped like basketballs, laughed.

"Yeah, I'll clean it up," she said with sarcasm and laughed too.

After breakfast, Savannah hurried up the stairs to change and Jacob told his father he'll throw some hoops to warm-up. That left Troy and Sharpay, the older Boltons decided to go back to sleep, alone.

"Is this seat taken?" he sidled up to a chair beside her with his pancakes.

"How come everyone's got a special shaped pancakes while you get the ordinary, dull, lifeless, boring-"

"I got the point."

"I haven't finished – ones?" she asked with a smile and Troy snorted.

"Because I'm hungry already," he explained and she rolled her eyes.

"Wow, that's something Troy." Sharpay muttered and Troy eyed her plate.

"But I see you still love my pancakes – you ate the whole plate clean!" he remarked and Sharpay looked away – blushing.

"You make me sound like such a slob, Bolton," she snapped playfully.

"Pay, it's alright with me, c'mon, tell it to my face: I love your pancakes!" he nudged her and she faced him with a frown. Troy rolled his eyes and laughed goofily – which made Sharpay laugh too.

"Works everytime," he said with satisfaction and Sharpay punched him lightly on the shoulder. Troy pretended that his arm was broken and was exaggeratingly asking for help.

"_Have mercy_! _My arm, it's broken_!" he wailed and Sharpay laughed at his playfulness.

"You are such a loser, Troy Bolton!" she laughed and Troy nudged her in the ribs. Sharpay gently swatted his hand away but Troy managed to get his hands on her sides and was tickling her like there was no tomorrow. Sharpay laughed and laughed as she tried to escape Troy's grip. She slid sideways on the chair and she managed to grasp both of Troy's arms off her but then fell on her back, pulling him on top of her.

Troy's instinct kicked in and he managed to protect Sharpay's head and back so she really wouldn't be hurt by the fall. Then he noticed the distance between them and Sharpay's eyes which made him almost lose control. He badly wanted to kiss her but the intensity of her gaze – which weren't filled with passion – made him stand up immediately and help Sharpay on her feet. He watched her brush herself off and he glumly sat back down to his pancakes.

Sharpay never felt the pain as she hit the ground but she felt the two hands which cushioned her fall. Looking up, she saw that Troy managed to prevent her from terrible head and back pain and was now looking at her with so much passion. Her face was a mask and she was confused and angry at the same time. Confused because she didn't know if she would let her guard down and angry because all the neglect Troy gave her when she needed him most – resurfaced in her thoughts. But Troy didn't kiss her. She watched him sit and eat his pancakes quietly.

"Hey," she said gently placing a hand on his shoulder, "Thank you."

Troy looked at her and gave her a playful smile but Sharpay knew him only too well and noticed the pain in his eyes. She dismissed it and told him that they'd better leave. Troy nodded and grabbed her wrist, he seemed to avoid her hand, and made her face him.

"Please look out for what our – I mean my, no your," he sighed looking troubled, and then he faced her again. "Please watch out for what Savannah buys with my card, she maxed it out last time she went shopping."

Sharpay nodded and walked to the hall calling out her daughter's name. While waiting, she wondered why Troy was treating her with so much – formality. Being with him in the last few days made her anger resurface, yet she also felt a certain longing. Bit by bit she started to miss him – how goofy he can be, how sweet, adorable and charming he could be, and when they danced the night they met, it was as if they never parted – yet he couldn't bring himself to make a move on her. Even with the camping trip which she knew was some sort of ploy…

Savannah bounded down the stairs and met her mother waiting for her. She smiled apologetically and went over to her father who was munching silently on his pancakes. She kissed him on the cheek and went to say goodbye to her brother. She went out and called Jacob who ran up to her.

"Hey, I'm going already, ok?" she asked him and he nodded.

"Sure thing," he muttered and went back to his playing.

Twin telepathy told them both that they saw the same thing. Savannah was already ready when she saw her Daddy tickling her Mom and falling on the floor. She saw how her Dad looked at Sharpay and how he decided to be gentlemanly in the end.

Jacob saw the whole thing through the window and smiled sadly. He, who knew his mother well enough too, saw the flash of urge to kiss his father yet she held back. Troy missed that part.

~***~

Savannah gazed at the pink mustang parked in front of their house, the one which her mother unlocked with her car remote. She giggled as she climbed into the passenger seat and strapped herself in.

"What's so funny?" Sharpay asked her daughter who continued to giggle.

"Jacob barged into the house looking so haunted. Now I know why!" she explained and Sharpay couldn't help but giggle with her daughter.

She started the car and soon they were heading to Albuquerque mall.

When they arrived, Sharpay immediately found a parking space and rushed with her daughter to the nearest boutique. They both had a lot of fun and by lunchtime, mother and daughter had a lot of shopping bags on each hand.

It was already 3 in the afternoon when Sharpay and Savannah decided to have time out and eat some snacks at the food court. Savannah had a pizza while Sharpay opted for a salad. The two munched on their own foods silently for a while.

"Are you ready with your camping gear Mom?" Savannah asked as she poured more hot sauce on her slice. Sharpay inwardly crinkled her nose in disgust, Troy did the same thing with the pizza and she hated the taste.

"What? Oh, yes, I forgot! Well, will you help me choose the good ones later – since you've been camping with your Dad?" she said sweetly and Savannah nodded.

"Since when did Troy go camping?" she mused and her daughter looked at her thoughtfully.

"It started when I was five; Daddy would take me out to the backyard where he set up a tent and a little bonfire. Then we'll roast marshmallows and then look at the stars. Then we'll sleep in the tent. When I was a bit older, he took me to the woods with Grandma and Grandpa. After a while it was just the two of us, then I went to summer camp – that's when Daddy married that Gabriella witch." Sharpay smiled inwardly at the hostility of her daughter towards Gabriella.

"Then times changed until we go camping after Thanksgiving." Savannah finished.

"How come you didn't want to go camping with us?" she asked her mother. Sharpay sipped her Diet Coke thoughtfully and then looked at her daughter.

"It's not something I'm privy to," she explained and Savannah snorted.

"Get real Mom," she said exasperatedly. Sharpay rolled her eyes and decided to tell her daughter the truth.

"It's just too fast for me, that's all." Sharpay answered and Savannah looked confused.

"What's too fast?" she asked and her mother frowned.

"Meeting you, Jacob meeting his father, me meeting Troy – and then all of a sudden we're all thrown in together and I just don't know how to handle that!" she said dazedly and Savannah smiled at her mother.

"Uncle Ryan's joining us too, you know," she said in an innocent voice and her mother looked too relieve to notice the underlying mischief.

"Oh really?! Thank God I have someone other than Troy to share tents with…" she muttered.

Mother and daughter continued their shopping spree. Savannah was trying very hard not to show any signs of excitement, if only her mother knew what she had in store for the both of them. Troy had an idea and wasn't happy about it, but he trusted her and was also curious as to how it will go. Savannah already packed the things they'll need the night before and Troy was thankful for his daughter's foresightedness, something, Savannah noted, she got from her mother.

Sharpay and Savannah patrolled all the stores that sell camping gear and Sharpay made sure that they were efficient and not cheap. She was impressed at her mother – partly because she knew that she will need it in the middle of the woods with her father and a map. Though Troy had the experience, it wouldn't be enough without the proper gear.

The two made their last stop for the day and then went back to the car where they put all their shopping bags. Sharpay drove them both to a restaurant she was fond of and they had dinner.

"Did you ever consider getting back with Daddy?" Savannah asked and looked Sharpay eagerly. Sharpay was caught off guard and she stared at her daughter in shock.

"What?" she stammered and Savannah gave her an unbelieving look and repeated her question.

"No, I haven't." Sharpay managed to say and saw the fleeting look of disappointment in her daughter's face. Savannah kept quiet and went back to her dinner.

"Why?" Sharpay asked and her daughter gave her a sad look.

"I dunno, maybe because Daddy's still madly in love with you and I want us to be a happy family?" she answered musingly and Sharpay wondered at her words.

"Isn't your Daddy…enough?" she asked nervously and bit her lip.

"Yeah, he's enough – just that. It's not: complete." Savannah answered wisely and Sharpay was struck by that. Her daughter was right – her father was enough; but they weren't complete. She could see the void in her daughter's heart with her name and she wanted to fill that void – but not in the way her daughter expected her to.

"We could be complete." Sharpay told her with a smile, "but maybe not the same way you're expecting it." Savannah's hopeful smile fell and Sharpay was hit with a pang of guilt.

"Darling, I know you want us to get back together but it's not that simple," she tried to explain.

"But Mom, how can it be not simple?" she bantered and Sharpay sighed – not this again; and yet she couldn't seem to find an answer. Yes, how can it not be simple? She made Troy leave out of anger when he tried to right his wrong.

"Mom?" her daughter snapped her back to reality and Sharpay wondered how to answer her.

"It's too complicated," she answered, opting for the safest answer in the book.

"Alright." Savannah said, she dropped the topic, but not her faith that her plan would work. She anticipated this and she saw that her mother's pride is the only thing standing between her family's reunion.

The two went back to the Bolton residence to find everyone watching a movie and eating pizza. Troy gaped at the multitude of shopping bags scattered around the first floor and started hauling them up to Savannah's room. He gave his daughter a frown but she assured him that her mother bought nearly all of them.

Sharpay gave Troy a sweet smile as she continued to put all her daughter's new wardrobe in the hall.

"You bought her all this?" he asked her looking quite aghast and Sharpay raised an eyebrow. The two were, once again, in the kitchen after Troy dragged her there.

"What's wrong with it?" she said defensively and he huffed.

"Savannah just bought a new wardrobe last month! Where will she put all this stuff?"

"She mentioned that she had a humongous closet…"

"Which doesn't mean you have to buy her all these…"

"Troy, you spoil her too, what are you so worked up about?"

"That's more than what she'd actually buy herself or what I'd buy for her."

"She didn't max out your credit card."

"But how about yours?"

"I have a living Troy and I get something called a salary."

"She might get used to this…"

Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"FYI she's used to being spoiled by you?!"

"Yeah well she might think that you're just there to spoil her."

"What are you saying?" Sharpay narrowed her eyes.

"Sharpay, you live at the other side of the United States of America – and knowing you, you'll opt for us exchanging the children during summer and leaving it at that!"

"And how does that not make me her mother?!"

"She'll just think of you as some far away aunt, your still not one to raise her – I am!"

"I still don't see the point, Troy, what do you mean she'll think I'm just there to spoil her?"

"Well, when she visits you, you'll just both go on a shopping spree. Then you'll talk and talk and talk - but that's about it. You won't raise her like you did Jacob."

"I'm capable of raising her!"

"For _two months _Sharpay! And I have Jacob for that same period of time plus the holidays!"

"So what are you complaining about Bolton?!"

"We won't really be part of their lives - just at a given period, you and I wouldn't really get to know the other child!"

"Well how do you want to know the _other _child?!"

"I want them together with me! Not one by one!"

"That is so not gonna happen…"

Savannah intervened as if nothing was happening and asked her mother to be ready by 7 in the morning. Then she dragged her father to his room to show him the things he'll need for the camping trip. Jacob took his fuming mother and tried to cheer her up as she drove back to the Evans mansion.

~***~

"Daddy?"

"Yes honey?"

"Are you mad?"

"No honey, I'm not."

"Are you mad at Mom?"

"I didn't say I was mad…"

Troy sighed and his daughter put her head on his shoulder. He looked at her blonde head and put an arm around her.

"Why were you yelling at each other?" her brown eyes looked up at his blue ones, full of question. Troy's heart melted as he saw the pain in his daughter's eyes.

"Your mother's just stubborn – as it is," he answered her and Savannah sighed.

"I wouldn't mind if she spoiled me Daddy, just as long as I'm with her," she told him and he shook his head.

"That's what I didn't want to happen. Then she'll just spoil you thinking it's the only way she could get back or something…"

"Let's just see what happens tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok..."

Savannah kissed his cheek and bid him good night going back to her room. Troy fixed his stuff and set his alarm for 6 am and went to sleep.

* * *

There goes the bonding time! :)  
Tomorrow, the bulk of my whole story begins.. :)  
Thank you to those who review my story!!!:) Please review again.. :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter IX**

It was the crack of dawn and Savannah Bolton opened her brown eyes and searched the ceiling of the guest room in her father's first home. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It was still dark around her but light was slowly creeping into the windows and pretty soon it would be daylight – given the excitement rushing through her veins.

Today is the start of the life-changing event that would decide her future. She dreamt of it, she longed for it, and she planned it; now she was going to execute it - the day of absolute reckoning. There could be no turning back, all she could do was cross her fingers and pray. She prayed that her mother would see the reason and go back to her father who had waited for her in the midst of Savannah's whole life!

She stood up and immediately made her bed, and then she took a shower and dressed. After making sure she has gotten all the equipment and clothes she'll need, she crept into her father's room and made sure that his things were prepared. She tucked in the map in one of his backpack pocket and grinned mischievously.

Savannah glanced back at her father's sleeping figure and a crease of worry formed on her brow. What if _something _did happen to them? Staring at him sleeping ever so peacefully almost made her abort her long time dream – but she couldn't. Not now when it was at her fingertips. She crept over to him and deftly pulled the comforter her father tightly wound around himself.

Troy felt a sudden rush of cold air and blindly groped for his comforter. In the distance he heard the tinkling of bells – but it didn't quite sound right. Then he felt the world shaking and a voice in the distance telling him it's time to get up. He peeked and saw his daughter shaking him. He sat up and yawned stretching his arms – suddenly his breath caught in his throat as he felt something land on his lap.

"Oomph!" he cried and Savannah wrapped her arms around him.

"Morning Daddy!" she squealed into is ear and kissed his cheek. Troy hugged his daughter.

"Morning honey, what time is it?" he asked her quite groggily.

"O five hundred am!" she said trying to impersonate a drill sergeant and Troy laughed.

"Eager, much?" he asked her in a playful tone and she lightly punched his shoulder.

"I've been waiting my _entire life_, Daddy!" she drawled and jumped up from his lap and dragged him to his feet.

"Now start moving Daddy, we're burning daylight here!" she demanded and started pushing him to the hallway bathroom. Troy glanced back at her and rolled his eyes.

"There's no daylight yet – technically, there's nothing yet to burn." Savannah just pushed him and slammed the door shut.

"Oh look! I might as well go back to sleep in the bathtub…" and the door burst open wide. Troy doubled over in laughter at his daughter who was frowning at him in the doorway.

"Hey! I'm going to take a bath already, ok?" he said softly and she nodded her head stiffly and walked out. Troy just laughed at his daughter and started to shower.

As he applied shampoo on his hair, he wondered if he could go through with it. It was the chance of a lifetime – he waited long enough. It took Troy his first 10 years of life (since kindergarten and he was aged 5) to get to know Sharpay Evans. She changed when they got to high school and it took him four years to realize he was deeply, madly, truly in love with her. Three years into his college life before he plucked the courage to ask her out. They'd been inseparable ever since yet it took him another year to impress her _Daddy_. Finally at 24 they tied the not and less than a year later he blew it all away… what more could an extra 14 years do?

Troy was done packing the car when Savannah came out and called him to breakfast. He walked slowly back to the house and when he got to the kitchen he saw her preparing his food; this made him smile to himself. He could still remember her as a little girl, in her pigtails bounding into the kitchen demanding breakfast…

"_G'morning Daddy!" a high pitched voice echoed in the kitchen where Troy was preparing breakfast. He was flipping pancakes as he watched a little girl bounding into the room. _

"_Where's my breakfast Daddy?" she pouted at her empty plate, "You know it's the most impowtant meal of da day!" she said in a sing-song voice. _

"_Really now?" Troy pretended to be shocked as Savannah nodded smugly – she told her Daddy something _he _didn't know (or so she thought)_

"_D'you want pancakes for your most important meal of the day?" he asked her and she nodded her little blonde head eagerly. Troy placed a stack of pancakes shaped like little bears in front of her. She started eating too fast, too messily and he chuckled at his daughter._

"_Savannah honey, you have to cut them up first," he took the knife and fork and started cutting little triangles on the pancake as his daughter squeezed maple syrup all over her breakfast._

"_Thank you Daddy!" she said in delight as her father finished cutting her pancakes and she gave him a maple syrupy kiss on the cheek as she started munching on her now cut food._

Savannah watched her father wipe the invisible smear of maple syrup on his face and saw the smile plastered on his face when he was reminiscing. She thought it was about her mother but when her father looked at her with so much love she realized it must've been about her.

"Daddy it's time to eat breakfast, remember? It's…" she was cut of when Troy recited the last lines to her.

"Most impowtant meal of da day, yeah, I remember," he said playfully imitating his daughter in his flashbacks and the one in the present day stuck out her tongue at him.

"You're so goofy Daddy," she scoffed playfully and he rolled his eyes.

"And yet you're still stuck with me, I wonder why?" he said with sarcasm and she giggled.

"Because you are," she hugged him tightly around the neck, pretending to choke him, "_My _goofy Daddy!" she said and kissed his cheek. Troy kissed her cheek back and started on his breakfast. Savannah sat on the chair across him and stared dreamily out the window, waiting for him to finish. Jack and Lucille appeared in the doorway and she jumped up and also gave them breakfast.

"Mmm, this is scrumptious!" Jack said as he patted his belly, his wife nodding in agreement.

"Do you go to culinary class?" Lucille asked suspiciously, as if it were a secret they kept from her. Savannah shook her head; her grandmother asked her how she learned to cook.

"Daddy teaches me, he used to perfect recipes from the cookbooks you sent us and then teach me how to do it. If I don't like the taste, I tweak the recipe." Savannah explained and Lucille looked at her son.

"Since when did you cook?" she joked and Troy just laughed.

"Oh, every now and then – ever since my daughter hit puberty she started demanding that I cook something else. You know the rest Mom," he said and his mother gave him an approving look.

"Thank you Lord for Savannah – why, I couldn't even get you to tell the difference between a pan and stove before she called me and told me she was sick of the same thing you cook everyday," she remarked and everyone laughed.

"Now, you take care son, ok?" Jack patted his son's back and father and daughter stood up to leave. The older Boltons kissed them goodbye and Troy drove his rented car to the Evans mansion.

Troy eased the car up the long driveway and parked in front of the huge oak doors of the Evans mansion. He got out and looked at the house, it had been a long time since he'd been there; the last time he was there was when he had to ask Vance Evans for his daughter's hand in marriage. Savannah looked at the huge building in awe – it was nothing compared to their mansion!

She ran up the steps and grabbed the elegant brass doorknob banging it on the door three times hearing the echoes running through the house. The door opened and Derby Evans looked at her granddaughter who was fidgeting with excitement. Savannah smiled and gave her grandmother a hug.

"Grandmother, is Mom ready yet?" she asked sweetly and Derby shook her head.

"She's still in the shower sweet pea, but you both can come in," she said and beckoned the two over into the threshold. Savannah was looking around, amazed at how rich her grandparents were. Troy was also looking around, he was reminiscing the few times he'd actually been invited to his ex-in-laws home.

Derby watched the two and led them over to the living room. Savannah wouldn't sit down - she wanted to look at everything. Troy let her and sat across Derby who rang her maid for tea.

"Do you want tea, Troy?" she asked him but he shook his head.

"I just had breakfast Derby, thanks for the offer though," he smiled and she nodded.

"So, you're going court my daughter again?" she asked in an offhanded manner and Troy sighed.

"Yep, back to base one…" he joked but Derby gave him a stern look.

"Is this what you really want?" she asked with an edge to her voice and he was confused.

"Of course it is," he answered unsurely. Derby clicked her tongue and thanked her maid as the tea was set before her.

"Just because your children want you both in their lives doesn't mean you have to force yourself to love her – even like her! There are just some times when a parent has to learn how to say 'no' to their children…" but Troy cut her off.

"I am fully aware when my children are going too far – and had I not wanted this too, then me and Sharpay would have just been cordial friends," he said curtly and Derby gave him a doubtful look.

"I am just concerned for my daughter, that's all…" she said coolly and Troy knew he went too far. He nodded respectfully and looked out the huge bay windows of the living room.

Savannah had been listening to the exchange between her grandmother and her father and was saddened immensely. Sometimes, she thought to herself, I ought to stop dreaming about things that couldn't be. She sighed and went over to sit next to Troy. Derby finished her tea and went up to call her daughter.

"Daddy, do you think I overdid this whole 'I want you back together no matter what' thing?"

Troy saw the sadness in her eyes and hugged her close, she looked really upset.

"No honey, I don't think you did – hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly…"

"What do you mean, Daddy?"

"I think, that we're given a chance – and if we let go now, then we may never have that chance again and end up feeling sorry for it."

"But doesn't the saying 'love will conquer all' mean anything?"

"Honey, the fact that I'm still going to woo her technically eliminates that."

"Daddy, I just noticed, you're as excited as I am."

"Well, let's just say – I want us being one big happy Bolton family again?"

Savannah smiled and hugged her father. Jacob went up to them and wordlessly embraced Troy too – Troy figured he'd been eavesdropping.

"I'll just call Mom!" Jacob said in a cracked voice and hurriedly went up.

~***~

"Mom…are you alright?"

Jacob went into his mother's bedroom with the intention of telling her they'll be running late but saw his mother already dress albeit staring into space. Sharpay glanced at him and Jacob sat down beside her.

"We're going to be late…" he whispered gently and his mother nodded.

"Aren't you overwhelmed?" she asked him.

"Overwhelmed about…?"

"All this?" she gestured with her hand, "Meeting your father, your sister – basically everyone from the other side?"

"Uhm, no – I want to cherish the moment."

"I love you, you know that?"

"I love you too Mom…"

Sharpay enveloped her son in a warm hug which he returned. Ryan stood in the doorway.

"Can I say 'I love you' then get hugged too?" he asked eagerly and Sharpay looked over her son's shoulder.

"No, please take our backpacks to the car like the good uncle you are," she told him and her brother stuck out his tongue at her but did as he was told.

~***~

Everyone was settled in the car and Troy drove to Albuquerque Nature Trails. Troy and Sharpay sat up front and Jacob, Savannah and Ryan sat at the back. The car was filled with half-songs (Savannah and Jacob were quarrelling on whether Ashley Tisdale or Led Zeppelin – Jacob loved rock – should be played.), and urgent pleas from Ryan. Finally Troy and Sharpay decided to break things up back their and ended up transferring the argument into the front part of the car.

It didn't merit into a full-blown fight and they arrived at the place. Troy parked the car and handed everyone their backpacks. Everyone made sure they had everything, went into a restroom break and finally entered the trail.

Three adults and two teens walked up until noon and then the sun was high up in the heavens glaring down at them. Everyone was hot, sweaty and irritable so they all settled in a little clearing as Savannah and Troy took out the prepared lunch sandwich and handed it out to everyone. Ryan and Sharpay were profusely fanning themselves with their hands while Jacob didn't seem tired. Troy sat beside Sharpay and she noticed his shirt clinging on to him because of the sweat.

He still had a hot body and the heat of the sun didn't make it any easier on him. She sat there ogling at Troy, who noticed but decided to bite back a comment. He decided to keep ammunition for future bickering. After lunch, everybody was on the trail again – Savannah told them they were nearly one-fourth of the journey. Three-fourths of it to go before they reach the campsite; she smiled sweetly to the others and walked ahead. Ryan walked behind her followed by Sharpay and then Jacob. Troy walked behind them all and spotted his son putting the snake into his mother's backpack.

Sharpay was too unaware because she was concentrating on not passing out. Jacob looked around and complained of the heat. Savannah stopped and gave everyone a water break. Troy spotted his daughter rubbing the back of her left ankle with the back of her right foot. She gave him a sweet smile and turned back on her mother. Everyone pretended to take a drink from their water bottle but Sharpay hardly noticed. She put her backpack on a stump and opened it to rummage for her water bottle.

Troy took a deep breath and his daughter gave him a final reassuring smile before they heard the high-pitched scream of Sharpay as she pulled out the rubber snake from her backpack. Savannah, Jacob and Ryan started sprinting as fast as they can to the Range Rover waiting for them in another clearing as Sharpay screamed her head off. Troy was watching with amusement as they fled and calmly put down his backpack and walked over to Sharpay.

He grabbed the offending rubber thing and put it in his pocket. Sharpay was very flustered and looked very upset. Troy gave her a smile.

"It was fake," he said sweetly and Sharpay glared at him as she realized it was her son's.

"Jacob Alexander Bolton! You _do not _pull a trick like that on me!" she whipped around and yelled at nobody in particular. She stood shell-shocked at Troy because of the disappearance of her children and her brother.

Troy knew better than to explain so he pointed at a letter tacked to a tree which Ryan managed to pin leisurely because Sharpay screamed a good 30 seconds giving them enough time to escape. She went over and read the note:

_Dearest Sharpay,_

_I know you would probably love to bite my head off right now but I'll be damned if you catch us too quickly. When you're reading this, the kids and I are probably driving to the campsite in an alternate route. You cannot follow us since the map Troy has will only show you the rest of the trail. Stick with him and you'll be fine – we figured you'd both like some alone time. (*wink) Tootles! _

_Ryan _

_P.S. I already prepared myself sis! I have a last will and testament waiting for me at home and you can have the kids once Troy dies at your hands – but I don't think he's prepared with his will yet. Kidding!_

"Oh you better, Bolton…" Sharpay growled under her breath as she slowly pivoted to face Troy. He stood there drinking from his water bottle looking as if nothing happened and put the cap back on and the bottle inside the backpack.

She took three menacing steps toward him and stood there hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed down in anger and the stance of a bounty hunter ready to pin him down. Troy gulped as Sharpay's aura let him know that the last thing he'll ever see on earth was his ex-wife's mad countenance.

"What's the meaning of this?" she snarled holding up the note. Troy speed-read it and shrugged. Wrong movement, Sharpay went ballistic.

"TROY BOLTON HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?! I AM NOT DRAGGED HERE TO BE FORCED INTO SOMETHING I NEVER WANTED TO DO!!! I HATE YOU AND YOU'RE DERANGED LITTLE PLAN, BOLTON!!! AND WHAT'S WORSE IS YOU DRAG MY BROTHER AND MY CHILDREN INTO THIS!!! I HATE YOU BOLTON AND ALL THAT YOU ARE!!! I WANT TO GO HOME!!! TAKE ME HOME NOW!!!" she screamed with all her might and Troy swore he could hear cars screeching to a halt in the freeway like the students at East High, and the members of Lava Springs did when Sharpay lost her temper – heck, he thought it went all the way to where Ryan and his kids are now. Speaking of the kids, he made sure to remember to remind his daughter that he took the bullet for her brilliant plan.

"Pay, our trail's ascending this side of the mountain. If we go down then it'll take twice as long and it's much more dangerous since it'll be dark once we get to the trickier parts. I suggest we go to the campsite, we're almost halfway there." Troy explained to her but she shook her head.

"No way, Bolton – what happened to this will be 'a little camping trip'?! This is a love story conspiracy and you're behind it!" she hissed angrily and Troy rolled his eyes.

"A 'love story conspiracy'?" he laughed.

"Shut it! I want to go home." Sharpay stomped her foot and sat on the stump exhaling all negative energy - or tried to. Troy looked at her and kneeled in front of her, she looked away.

"We can do this, Pay. We'll get to the campsite in no time," he assured her but she just glared at him.

"Take me home, Bolton!" she demanded angrily and Troy sighed at her stubborn behavior.

"Pay, c'mon – it's just a few more miles; we're already halfway through the trail!" he pleaded.

"I don't want to be anywhere near you, Bolton! Not halfway down the trail – you go!" she yelled and suddenly stood up and put on her backpack. Troy watched her in shock.

"What're you doing?" he hurriedly asked as Sharpay started to go back.

"Going home, what do you think?" she snapped and started walking downhill. Troy put his hands on his head and looked aghast. Even if Sharpay followed the trail, she'd be lost and tired by nightfall. It's not safe to walk downhill in the dark. He watched her take a few more steps before rushing down to her.

"Sharpay – Sharpay stop!" he hollered but she walked determinately ahead without a backward glance. He was already sprinting as she started brisk walking – suddenly he saw her slip.

The trail was a bit of a steep climb and slipping meant tumbling down like Jack down the hill. Troy saw Sharpay fall sideways and immediately started running towards her as she fell and started rolling. She screamed for help as she passed rough soil with rocks, twigs, leaves and whatnot hurt her petite body.

For the second time since she went to Albuquerque, she felt two hands stop her impending doom and looked up to see Troy holding on to her sides and breathing hard. His blue eyes were filled with so much worry as he looked at her for signs of damage. Miraculously, she was unscathed to looking a bit bruised and battered. He helped her stand up and felt for broken bones. Sharpay was shocked and thought that Troy was groping her when he sighed with relief.

"No broken bones," he told her with a smile and she gave him a nod.

"Are you feeling any pain?" he asked her and she shook her head.

"Good, can you walk?" he held out his hand and she gingerly took it, leaning on him as he took her back to the stump. Sharpay sat down and watched Troy go back for her backpack. She felt her hair and was pissed that it became messy from the sweat and the grime that clung to her.

"Do you still want to go home?" he asked when he came back. While waiting for her answer, Troy gave her a water bottle.

"No, maybe I'll stick with you until this is all over," she answered in a monotone and gave the bottle back. Troy nodded and helped her stand.

"If we're lucky, we'll reach the campsite before sundown." Sharpay nodded and walked beside him as they continued their ascent.

~***~

The two walked on in comfortable silence when Sharpay felt like peeing. She signaled to Troy who stopped and got her backpack for her. By now they were walking down on level ground with a ravine off to the side. It was filled with tall trees and bushes, perfect for her business. She ambled her way down the slope and tried to do her business by a bush when she remembered she was with Troy.

"Turn around!" she called to him and he rolled his eyes.

"It's like I haven't seen it all before," he muttered but she heard only a garble from the distance.

"What was that?" she snapped loudly.

"Nothing!" he called back, his back turned and he heard her doing her business. When she was done, he looked around for her but she was nowhere in sight – this made him worry. Going down the slope she used, he carried their backpacks as he called out to her.

Unaware that he was going farther from the trail, Troy called out to her and was a bit deep into the forest before he saw her blonde hair. Sharpay stood there looking lost as he hurried over to her.

"There you are!" she called looking flustered. He noticed a camera in her hand.

"What're you doing?" he asked tersely and she gave him a small, frightened look.

"I saw a perfect opportunity for a perfect snapshot," she replied trying to sound haughty. Troy gave her a doubtful look and she hung her head in shame.

"Then I became quite lost…" she finished.

"In the moment or lost in the forest?" he asked sarcastically and she frowned at him.

"I'm sorry…" she said quietly and Troy just heaved a sigh.

"I got a map and a few experiences in my belt. We'll stick together this time, alright?" he put a hand on her shoulder and she nodded.

Troy took out the map and studied it for a while. He saw that they wouldn't be able to climb back to the trail and found an alternate route which they would follow – but it was longer. He put on his backpack and watched her put on hers.

"We follow this trail here," he traced the path they'll take, "I doubt we'll reach the campsite by nightfall so we'll have to camp somewhere halfway. The original trail would've given us a day or a day and a half to reach the campsite itself. This trail we're taking now will take us until nightfall to reach halfway and the whole day tomorrow." Troy finished explaining.

"So let's get moving." Sharpay read his thoughts and the two were on their way.

~***~

Meanwhile Savannah, Jacob and Ryan started putting up camp. She sat on a log around their bonfire and stretched her legs. Jacob sat down next to her and sighed.

"When do you think they'll arrive?" she asked her brother in concern.

"Judging by Mom's scream, tomorrow," he answered. Ryan sat across them and smiled.

"Anyone up for ghost stories and marshmallows tonight?" he asked and the two nodded eagerly.

"Yeah – no silly campfire songs!" Jacob yelled excitedly and the three laughed. Savannah took out her camera and started snapping pictures. The three were goofing off the whole time, unaware that Troy and Sharpay took a different trail…

* * *

Whoa! It felt like forever since I've updated though it was just five days. Well, here's the beginning of my 'love story conspiracy'! I hope you like it, I got the inspiration to make them take a longer trail from the book _The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon _by Stephen King. It would just be tad boring if they followed the whole trail bickering and stuff. Time to put Troy Bolton's (and my) camping (and writing) skills to the test! Wahahaha..

Please please please review and I'll try to review as soon as possible!  
It's hell week back at my school but I'll try to squeeze it in! :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter X**

The heat of the afternoon was slowly wearing off, in its place came the cold desert air and it engulfed everything with a chilly breeze. A couple walked in the middle of a different route not shown in the map the employees at Albuquerque Nature Trails gave. The blonde was slouched and she walked as if a pair of anvils was strapped on her dainty feet even if her backpack was being carried by the brunette whom she was once married to.

The two walked for another hour when they chanced upon a small clearing and the blonde immediately slumped down wiping her perspiration and very irritated. She hated being all hot and sweaty, not to mention feeling all dirty and smelly. The brunette put down their backpacks and fished for a water bottle from his own. He got hers and handed it to her.

"Sharpay, don't drink up all your water." Troy scolded her and attempted to grab her water bottle before she drank it all.

"What the fuck, Bolton?!" snapped an irritable Sharpay, the heat has gotten into her. She gave him a death glare and he frowned in response.

"Look, we have to ration everything we have, ok? You can't just have a go at everything and then regret your rash decisions in the middle of the forest when you're really thirsty," he said.

"Bolton, haven't you ever heard of the saying 'nature provides everything you need' or something like that? Because I deem it _impossible _that there are no streams or rivers nearby."

"Yes I have _Evans_, have you ever used the words 'patience' and 'endurance' in your vocabulary – perhaps your life?"

"Many times, Bolton – almost all my life!"

"Then I take it, this is the part that doesn't count since you used the word 'almost' in _this _situation?"

"Ugh, shut your yap, Bolton!"

Troy grinned, he knew he touched a nerve. Sharpay simply hated it when someone gets the last word and she doesn't have a comeback.

"Look Pay," he said softly, "I know you hate your current situation right now but the thing is – if you want water we have about another hour's walk ahead of us. A river's up ahead and if we walk without stopping we could reach ok?" he said.

Sharpay looked like a scared little girl as she sat there in the corner of the small clearing hugging her knees to her chest rocking back and forth slowly. Troy stared at her and he couldn't help but smile. She was exactly like his daughter when scared out of her wits. He remembered coming home after training one stormy night. The sitter told him she put his daughter to bed when he got to the door. He paid and she left and Troy went up to Savannah's room to check up on her.

_He opened the door slowly so as not to wake his little girl. The wind howled outside and made the windows rattle. The storm raged as thunder boomed and the house was dark as if thrown in a pit of shadows. Suddenly the lights went out and his daughter's night light was gone. He heard her whimper in her pink canopy bed calling out to him and he groped his way to her._

"_Daddy? Daddy where are you? I'm scared, Daddy," a ten year old Savannah Bolton called out in the dark. Troy groped his way to her and got frustrated. Taking out his Blackberry, he flipped it open and let the small amount of light illuminate the room for a moment. _

_He saw her sitting on the edge of her huge bed, pink sheets swaddled in a ball, and a wild look in her eyes. She was whimpering, knees to her chest as the storm made its noises outside her window. Troy immediately ran to her and hugged her tight._

"_Ssshh, honey, its alright, Daddy's here…" he whispered in her ear and she nodded her blonde head letting him hum her to sleep. When he felt her body become heavy and her breathing deeper, he tucked her in and left the room. _

_Turning around, his hand on the doorknob he whispered, "I love you…" _

"What's gotten into you?" Sharpay's sharp voice cut through his reverie and he gaped at her.

"What?" he asked bewildered and she rolled her eyes looking very mad.

"Can you _not _space out, Bolton?!" she snapped harshly though her eyes looked worried.

"Was I?" he continued to mumble and Sharpay threw her hands in the air in exasperation.

"Dammit! Let's just go to this river…" she muttered angrily and stood up feeling a bit woozy but she walked ahead. Troy watched her retreating figure clutching the half full water bottle and sighed, and then he stood up and got their backpacks and jogged to her side.

"Wait up!" he panted lugging everything behind him and trying to match her quick steps.

"Where's the river you said – up ahead? Let's go…" she was muttering more to herself as she quickened her pace and Troy groaned and tried to match it.

~***~

The couple reached the muddy banks of Albuquerque River and Troy dropped their backpacks safely by a tree before taking off his sweaty shirt and ran towards the river and cannonballed, splashing Sharpay with freezing water. She scowled as Troy rose from the water and shook his head like a dog spraying more water to Sharpay. He laughed at her indignant look and rolled his eyes as he swam lazily farther from her.

Sharpay huffed and refilled her water bottle and put it back in her backpack. When she came back, she could see neither hide nor hair of Troy and she started to get really worried. Did the river current take him away? She tried to be optimistic when she heard a twig snap behind her. She looked behind and saw no one but when she turned back to face the river, her face was sprayed with cold water Troy scooped. She heard his mischievous laugh and the dive indicating that he was trying to run away from her – playfully of course. She huffed once again not intending to give chase. Her son could be as mischievous as his father and it was her turn to have a flashback.

"_Mommy, can I pway wit da new water gun Grandpa Vance gave me?" a little boy of three gave his mother puppy dog eyes as he clutched his brand new blue water gun. It matched his own blue eyes and Sharpay couldn't help but nod. He whooped in delight and hurriedly went to the garden hose located near the garden shed of the Evan's humungous backyard. When the gun was full of water, he crept stealthily back to his mother who was sprawled on a long chair sunning herself. He aimed for her face and squirted._

"_Jacob Bolton! How dare you squirt water on me!" her playfully angry voice echoed in the Albuquerque wind and the little boy laughed with glee as his mother chased him all around the backyard. _

_The two ran straight to the wading pool and Sharpay managed to latch on her son's small arm as he laughed with mischief and jumped, dragging his mother with him. The water sloshed as mother and son landed under its depths and Sharpay rose with a laughing Jacob in her arms. _

"_Again Mommy!!!" he said throwing his small arms in the air and Sharpay couldn't help but laugh. Her hair was ruined, so was her clothes and _no one _ever does that to Sharpay Evans but he did – and he didn't seem to regret nor care. So she spun him around and took him to the side of the pool and he ran to get his water gun, ready to squirt…_

Her fond thoughts were ruined when water was once again splashed at her face and this time she didn't hesitate to swim after Troy Bolton who was laughing his head off as he tread water whereas Sharpay waded madly to get to him. She kicked of her walking boots and threw them on the bank and took off her shirt.

Troy's eyes went wide at the sight of her hourglass body. He momentarily stopped treading water to gape at her and the red sports bra she was wearing. Her tanned and flawless body was turned to him as she threw her shirt where it landed by her boots. He was mesmerized and could only stare. She turned back towards him and started walking. Her cleavage was taunting him and Troy was silently praying not to lose all self control.

Sharpay knew she caught his attention when she took off her shirt. He just stood there gaping at her as she waded her way right in front of him and splashed him with water. Troy coughed and spluttered as some of the water went up his nose. It was her turn to laugh her head off and he just frowned. Then Troy did something she should've expected – he went underneath, clutched her ankles and yanked – Sharpay fell backwards, her mouth forming an 'O' of surprise and water immediately went down her throat.

He watched as she fell with a satisfied smirk but when she didn't surface after a while he dove right back underneath and tried to see if she was alright. Suddenly he felt a pair of dainty hands wrap around his neck and squeeze. Being stronger than her though, he managed to free himself of her grip and resurface with her wrists in his hands. Sharpay glared at him.

"You _do not _just throw me into the water, Bolton!" she hissed angrily. Troy pouted and hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear like a little boy, "I'm sorry Pay…"

Sharpay could not help but feel his still muscular arms and his muscular frame up against hers and she wanted to wrap her arms around him so much. The two were quite lost in the moment until Troy noticed that the current was becoming a tad stronger. Sharpay hardly felt anything but Troy held her waist and instructed her urgently to climb and _cling _on his back.

Watching as he waded powerfully upriver she noticed his arms flex and she felt protected as he swam back to the river bank and put on fresh clothes and refill his water bottle. He looked at her bemused expression and gave her a charming smile.

"You didn't feel the water's current becoming stronger didn't you?" he asked, a twinkle in his eyes. She nodded as she put on fresh clothes too.

"Sav and I didn't, first time we were really out on our own. It was nearly too late but she climbed on my back and said that the water's pushing her too much. I managed to grab on a branch and just pull us to the banks and she was howling with laughter. It was fun…" he told her with a fond smile and Sharpay looked quite horrified.

"You nearly killed her!" she exclaimed and he just laughed and walked ahead.

~***~

Troy and Sharpay walked until it was dark and they settled in a clearing up ahead. Troy went off for a while to hunt for rabbits, which he skinned and didn't tell Sharpay what it was until she managed to bug the hell out of him. She looked really horrified when he confessed and scooted far from him. He gave her a questioning look.

"Pay, I managed to get you dinner. What's wrong with that?"

"You, Bolton, managed to kill a poor, defenseless, innocent, fluffy, white, cute creature!"

"I, Evans, snagged a brown, huge and fast bunny for dinner instead of letting you starve."

"_Killer_…" she whispered and he just shook his head.

"Try to get lost in the woods once in a while, it'll help you lighten up."

"You killed a poor, defenseless –"

"Innocent, fluffy, white, cute creature! Big deal…"

"…"

"Pay…" he whispered softly, sitting beside her. She glared at him and tried to move when he grabbed her hand and sat her back down. Then he tilted her chin towards him and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her.

Troy tilted her head up to the heavens and she saw the dark sky filled with a million twinkling stars. She was at awe as she stared at the night sky, brighter than it can ever be in New York. Then she heard the silence than engulfed them and the soft crackling of the fire. Her hearing seemed to be magnified a thousand times, she heard _everything_ – even Troy's ragged breathing. She turned to look at him and saw him staring into the fire, a glum look on his face.

Putting her hand on his shoulder, he turned to look at her with raised eyebrows. She sighed and shook her head. Troy continued to gaze solemnly at the bonfire.

"Are you alright?" she asked him softly. He shrugged.

"Yes…and no…" he muttered.

"Why and why not?"

"I'm happy you know, being with you after a long time, but I always dreamed that things would be different…"

"Well Troy, we have to let go of our past and face our future."

"I've been facing the future Pay, I always have. Somehow, unfinished business seems to catch up."

"What unfinished business?"

Her question was answered by his lips upon hers as Troy moved with instinct and kissed her. Immediately, his heart and body felt a thousand pleasant emotions coursing through his veins urging him on – his brain did too when Sharpay didn't pull away and actually responded to the kiss!

All the pent up emotion they ever held in the past fourteen years, all their inhibitions vanished as Troy carried Sharpay back into the tent where he lay on top of her as they continued their escapade. The once silent woods of Albuquerque were filled with unusual sounds.

Two squirrels were quietly gathering nuts when the sound filled their ears. They looked at each other, listening intently to the moaning of the wind and the rustle of twigs along with the groaning of the trees. They shrugged and continued their work…

* * *

Ah a Troypay moment! Yes, the night is always magical... and so will mine be when I read your reviews...

I'm sorry if it's quite short, maybe I'll post a longer chapter come next update, depending on the number of reviews I get..


	11. Chapter 11

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter XI**

_He kissed every part of her fervently eliciting loud moans of ecstasy as she writhed with pleasure beneath him, clutching the back of his head and guiding him to all the right spots. It had been a long time and her own little chain of boyfriends could never match her ex-husband's expertise in bed. _

_Clothes flew around the tent since their body heat wasn't able to handle anymore heat giving materials, or covering for that matter and it had to be discarded. A bra flew to the side along with a pair of boxers. Then a thong went flying out of the tent…_

"_Did it land on the bonfire?" he thought._

"_Will a bear touch it?" she thought simultaneously._

_Troy had a way of making Sharpay go over the edge – she could just roll her eyes in the back of her head and die right there with all the things this man did to her. He was never tired and he was never selfish and right now he was sucking her southward and she could just feel herself burn in perpetual ecstasy._

_But of course, she had her own little ways too – and he knew that she was just itching to have a go at him. After sucking her dry, he was suddenly pinned on his back on the sleeping bag and she was twirling a coil of yellow nylon rope in her dainty fingers, a glint in her lust-filled burning. With a swiftness and strength he never knew she possessed, she had his hands tied over his head and was making him insane wherever she planted her lips, her hands and her tongue._

_After the long torture – she made sure the rope was tied tightly – he managed to escape his bonds and flip them over once again. _

_The tent rocked and their moans and their groans were amplified by the silence that surrounded the place and they briefly wondered if anyone could hear them…_

~***~

Sharpay fluttered her eyes and looked at her surroundings. She looked up at the nylon taffeta blue ceiling and blinked a few times. Trying to sit up, she felt quite sore and had to cease any more attempts fearing cramps. Satisfying herself with looking left and right while lying down, she tried to stifle a scream as she saw Troy sleeping next to her, his handsome, nearly middle-aged face millimeters from her own.

Suddenly a light breeze made her quite shiver and then she realized that she was naked. Her clothes were strewn all over the tent and the sudden shock gave her the energy to sit up. She spotted her thong near the bonfire and was thankful no animal dare went near it. Her breath became quick as she put two and two together. Troy and her made love – no, had sex! But they weren't drunk, nor were they stoned, they were simply looking at the stars and Troy kissed her. _Yeah_, she thought, _it's all Troy's fault_…_though I must say_, _I don't regret anything_. She was confused, knowing it was never supposed to happen.

Troy was awake but wasn't opening his eyes. He could vividly remember what happened last night and judging by Sharpay's immediate reaction upon waking up, he was going to be blamed. He could feel her scurrying for her clothes and putting them on. Sooner or later she was going to "wake" him and maybe avoid him as they trudge on to their destination.

Sure enough, he felt her tentative clammy hand shake him almost as if hesitant or disgusted. He looked at her and can feel coldness sweeping through him as she gave him her famous icy glare. Getting up, he busied himself with fixing the tent and all their belongings as she watched, sitting on a log.

"Are you hungry?" he asked and she shook her head not looking at him. Troy sighed quietly.

"Well, I am, I'm going to go look for food, ok?" he asked her tentatively and she nodded.

Going back to their camp with a couple of eggs, Troy became busy frying them on small pan he brought. He offered her a plate and contrary to what she answered earlier, Sharpay wolfed down the meager breakfast as Troy tried to eat his without laughing.

"My, someone's hungry," he tried to joke but received a glare and decided to keep quiet.

"We have a long walk ahead of us and maybe we'll get there by late afternoon. Are you up for that?" he asked her but she merely shrugged her response.

"Pay," he said sternly, "I know what happened last night ok, and I understand that you're not comfortable in my presence or me in yours but we gotta work together to reach Ryan and the kids," he told her and she glared at him.

"Fine Troy, I'll be civil with you until we get to that confounded area and be done with it!" she snapped.

"Then I suggest we get going then." Troy had finally had enough of her.

~***~

They walked again for miles in complete silence, not stopping for any water breaks except when one has a nature call. Troy wanted to talk to her but Sharpay put on her Ice Queen persona and he couldn't budge her. Finally stopping for a water break, he took his chances and brought up the dreaded topic.

"Pay, didn't last night mean anything to you?" he asked clearly though his heart was hammering and his throat felt dry.

"What happened last night, Bolton?" she snarled while feigning innocence. He frowned, she was trying to forget it already.

"We made love?" he bantered and she rolled her eyes.

"We had sex." Sharpay corrected him and Troy's frown became a scowl.

"There's a difference between the two," he pointed out and she laughed hollowly.

"Don't I know it!" she barked, "Well duh! Sex is just me and a guy having fun."

"Yeah well I'm not just _some _guy and we didn't just _have fun _as you so bluntly put it," he was beyond hurt. She was trying to forget it, and then pass it off as _a one night stand_.

"What Troy? You're not my _husband_ or my _lover _that I could say that we _made love _as you would like to think we did."

"But we weren't drunk or anything! We were sober and thinking clearly. Doesn't _that _mean anything to you?! I mean I was there and you were there and you didn't seem to regret last night." Troy tried to put some sense to her.

"Did it ever occur to you, Troy, that I'm an actress?" she said simply and he bristled.

"Sharpay, you were practically _writhing with pleasure _underneath me and unless you're some porn star, suffice to say you enjoyed last night. Face it Pay, you also had the choice to say 'no'…" he said indignantly and it was her turn to bristle.

"First off, I am not a porn star! I'm a Broadway actress Troy Bolton – and a very good one at that! Second, we _had sex _last night! It was 'in the heat of the moment' thing and I would appreciate it if you don't bring it up and it won't happen again. Lastly, _it did not mean anything _Bolton so just deal with it!" she yelled, utterly angry and Troy just looked at her, hurt plastered on his face. His dream, his children's dreams, everyone's dreams of them ever getting back together was going down the drain.

Troy looked away from Sharpay and tried his best not to let the tears threatening to fall escape his eyes in her presence. He muttered something about having to pee and walked off to a huge tree and tried his best to steady his frayed nerves. Sharpay can cut any man's heart better than any katana and he could feel the tatters of his heart as she told him that last night didn't mean anything. But why – she seemed to enjoy it and give it all she had when they were doing it…

Sharpay knew that Troy probably hated her right now; she could hear him sobbing even if he was quite far from her. She was angry at herself, why does her pride always stand in the way when she wanted to confess her deepest desire to also be with him? But she _can't_ – for a reason she also didn't know. She felt that she was being stupid (**A/N**: duh? But of course, I don't think she's stupid… mainly: arrogant) and that she should come clean. Deciding that it was her moment, she took in a deep breath and got ready to approach Troy.

Before she could even take a step further though, she heard a low growl behind her. Sharpay spun and looked for the cause of the menacing noise. Hearing twigs snap her heart rate beat faster and she was filled with dread. There in front of her was a huge black bear, its teeth were bared and it looked really mad. She took a step back as the huge animal took a huge menacing step forward. Suddenly it lumbered towards her, its huge mouth now open and she could count the teeth that was about to sink into her flesh. Fear overtook her and she screamed trying to shield her face with her arms as she crouched. The bear raised a huge paw above its head, claws at a ready…

Troy was letting it all out behind his tree, quite far from Sharpay when he heard a bit of rustle. He looked up and heard the growl – in a flash he was running and what he saw almost made him freeze and stay frozen. A huge black bear was towering over his ex-wife, its paw raised ready to strike her face off. He lunged for the pistol his daughter provided him and released the safety pin, cocking the gun and he shot point-blank.

The bear let out a terrible roar as one of its arms was hit and he got down and started towards Troy. He aimed it between the eyes of the advancing bear and pulled the trigger. The freaking pistol was jammed and he cursed a thousand profanities in a matter of milliseconds. Lunging towards the fuming man, the bear managed to pin down Troy and again it raised its (now shot) arm, paw at a ready and swiped.

Raising his arm as protection, the bear managed three deep cuts on Troy's arm and one that ran from the corner of his left eye to his cheek. Blood oozed from the lacerations and Troy groaned in pain. The weight of the bear and the pain of his cuts made him quite weak. The freaking bear was heavy and it took all his strength to throw it off him.

The bear fell on its side with a groan/growl and Troy managed to get up although he was clutching his heart as he made his way to Sharpay who seemed to have fainted. He tried to get her to wake up and she was fluttering her eyes just as the bear really went mad and lumbered towards them. Troy knew the pistol effort was futile and so carried Sharpay near his backpack with the bear hot on his heels.

He managed to lay her down safely and grab his hunting knife and thrust it to the hilt inside the bears wide open mouth. The tip of the knife protruded from it head and for a second, Troy felt like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (**A/N**: imagine Zac Efron with the glasses and a lightning scar on his forehead, isn't it hilarious? He'll look really weird…). The bear gave one a long low groan and halfheartedly fought back but gave up its last valiant act after its fruitless results and slumped on the ground. Troy, feeling heroic, gave a triumphant look at the bear and cried, "That's for trying to kill the fair maiden I left in this clearing to pee!"

By now Sharpay was fully awake and tried to stifle a laugh at what Troy said. It seemed unfitting for the situation. He glanced at her after the bear was really dead and her heart constricted after she saw the pained look in his eyes. Managing a goofy grin, he asked her if she was alright and she nodded.

Troy abruptly turned away from her, grabbed their backpacks and started walking. Sharpay was concerned with the state of his wounds but then he was already far ahead and by the time she reached him, she was too out of breath to even say anything. The blood had been wiped off as he walked and she could see the pink scar that would forever grace his face – the scar he earned to save her.

~***~

The two were nearly at the end of their journey and Sharpay was still trying to muster enough confidence to break the deafening silence between them. Before she had a chance to speak though, they arrived at the clearing and she was swept into her brother's arms. Jacob also hugged her and they went chattering away and got busy with putting up the tent and so on.

Savannah was patiently waiting for her father with her brother and uncle when she saw them up ahead. _They made it_, she thought happily and then saw her mother being hugged. When she turned to her father, his appearance shocked her to the core. There was a scar from the corner of his left eye to his cheek, bruises and cuts lined his knees where the bear swiped him and there were lacerations on his arms, deep ones.

She remembered the night he saved her, he looked much worse and the trauma overtook her. Screaming she flung herself to him sobbing and shaking as he clutched her and tried to soothe her. Ryan and Jacob stared at him wide-eyed while Sharpay looked down on the ground. Savannah was near hysterical and wouldn't let go of Troy.

"Daddy…Daddy…" she whimpered as Troy held her close and told her he was alright. After a good ten minutes she let go of him and asked what happened. He related the story of the bear leaving the three gaping at him.

Ryan however, noticed something amiss when Sharpay didn't react much. In a situation like this, she would have probably been all over her hero but she sat meekly in the corner and seemed like a recluse. The group decided to spend another night and Sharpay decided to stay with Troy for her daughter.

That night, with his wounds cleaned and bandaged, Troy lay on his sleeping bag and watched as Sharpay slept beside him. She looked so peaceful, so serene – her blonde hair framed her beautiful face like a halo and the way she breathed in and out in a rhythmic pattern made Troy's heart flutter and break at the same time. With sleep finally overcoming him, he heard her whisper, "I lied – last night _**did**_ mean something to me…"

~***~

Troy awoke with a jolt. He could still remember what Sharpay said, that last night meant something to her! Glancing at his wristwatch, he noticed that it was still evening and that he just slept for a few minutes before the entirety of her statement sunk in.

Looking over at her, he saw that Sharpay was nowhere in the tent so he grabbed a jacket and went out. Sure enough, she was sitting on one of the logs, the dying flames of the bonfire illuminating her beautiful face. He sat down beside her holding her hand.

"Did you mean what you said?" he whispered. Sharpay decided to play coy.

"What did I say?" she whispered innocently and immediately regretted it when Troy heaved a sad sigh and pulled his hand away. She tightened her grip and he looked at her.

"I… I did," she said in a trembling voice and Troy stared at her, mesmerized, his blue eyes becoming foggy.

"You did?" his voice was hoarse and Sharpay nodded, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Troy, I want you," she began in a terrified whisper, "I want to be with you – I realize now, how blind I've been! You wanted _so much _to make it up to me and I gave you hell then threw you out… we were young and I was foolish! You don't deserve that! You don't deserve me…" she sobbed and traced his scar. Wincing a bit, he knelt in front of her and hugged the second crying female in his arms that day.

His heart was flying and if humans could really fly they'll be in outer space by now. She was still in love with him, after 14 years! He couldn't really utter anything as of the moment so he just kissed her. Sharpay kissed him back through her tears and a smile on her face.

Ryan, Savannah and Jacob were watching Troy and Sharpay make out by the bonfire. Ryan wanted to gag at the sight but opted to just go back to sleep. Savannah was doing some kind of happy dance and Jacob looked really happy. Dreams do come true, he thought…

~***~

No one said a word the next day as they packed up everything and put it all in the Range Rover. The smiles on everyone's faces were enough to communicate to the world that something amazing happened. Climbing into the vehicle, they all took one last look at the forest before Ryan revved the engine and started to drive away.

Sharpay leaned on Troy's chest as he held her hand and Savannah lay her head on his shoulder as he put his other arm around her. Jacob rode shotgun and was secretly smiling the whole way home.

* * *

It's so hard to speculate if they'll really have a happy ending at this point don't you think? What if the author was sooo devious she'll twist the entire plot? Or maybe she'll kill off one of the characters insert _gasp_ here? Oor.. she could write a totally happy ending? IDK..

Anyway, take time to review! :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter XII**

Derby and Vance were looking from behind the drapes of their huge living room as the silver Range Rover came up the driveway and stopped in front of the huge front doors of the Evans mansion. Lucille ushered them away from the drapes and was pulling her husband by the collar to hide behind the double doors that was the entrance to the living room.

The four older couples took up positions behind those double doors and listened to the sounds coming from the foyer as their children and grandchildren entered the mansion and were chatting away. They heard the peel of laughter and a yell of 'hey' along with the thumping of feet on what they guessed was Ryan chasing his niece and nephew who snagged his hat. But another sound surprised them the most, it was cooing… _cooing_?!

Holding her self-control no longer, she pulled open the door and marched to the foyer surprising everyone. Jacob and Savannah stopped in their tracks and Ryan took the opportunity to inch his way toward them. The butler nearly dropped the bags and Derby nearly dropped her jaw. There, in the Evans foyer stood Troy and Sharpay _hand in hand_! Her face broke into a smile as she rushed to them and wrap them both in a bone-crushing hug.

Vance, Jack and Lucille just stared agape as did everyone at this sudden turn of events. Then, as if regaining their senses, they too went over and wrapped both Troy and Sharpay in a warm hug. Jacob started running just as Ryan was about to grasp his hat and Savannah was trying to tackle him to the floor.

"Run dearest brother, run!" she called to Jacob as she clung to her uncle. Everyone watched in amusement as Ryan struggled from her grip and Savannah was laughing madly.

"I see you two got together just fine." Jack said and Troy grinned back at him.

"Yeah," he answered and tightened his grip on Sharpay's hand.

"And in need of a shower." Derby noted with a wrinkled nose, her husband chuckled apologetically putting his hands on his wife's shoulders.

"Yes, uhm… yeah, the bathroom is available…" he muttered as he led his wife away.

Troy and Sharpay looked embarrassed and gave the Boltons sheepish grins before hurrying up the stairs for a bath.

~***~

Back in the living room, Vance and Derby were talking about a wedding when Jack and Lucille came in.

"Oh my goodness how does a winter wedding sound?" Derby asked excitedly.

Jack scratched his head in confusion, "Winter-ish?" he asked with a grin. Lucille and Vance tried to stifle their giggles while Derby looked offended.

"I meant: does a wedding in winter sound good for you?" she clarified. Before Jack could answer, Lucille nudged him on the side and gave him a look.

"I'm not sure Derby, I mean they only just got back. We don't know for sure whether they are ready to tie the knot yet," she said and their husbands nodded.

"Vance, are you agreeing with them?" she looked quite irritated and he sighed.

"Well darling, Lucille does have a point you know." Vance shrugged.

"You said it was a good idea," she gave him a pout, her husband tried to resist her.

"And it's just a good idea…" he answered with a smile but his wife's eyes narrowed.

"You also said that the sooner we put it into action, the better." Derby said in a calm voice though her husband knew better, it was a calm before the storm.

"Ok, ok, ok – guys, I think we're taking this a bit too far." Lucille interjected.

"I uh… well, she's right. I'm not even sure if Troy asked her to marry him yet." Jack added.

"And we aren't sure if Princess will agree if he did." Vance muttered.

Derby huffed at the three of them and frowned. She walked towards one of the sofas and sat down looking dejected. Vance joined her and the Boltons sat across them.

"Oh I'm just so sad! I mean, my daughter is being foolish and my son is still single, I wanted to have grandchildren, the more the merrier. Then I want my children to have happy families too, anything but this," she said in a sad voice as her husband patted her back.

"Now, now my love, I'm sure Sharpay will come to her senses but we have to give her time," he said and she sniffled.

"Isn't fourteen years enough for her, and for the four of us?" she whimpered.

"Oh you know, things don't always go the way we want them to." Jack tried to cheer her up.

"Yeah, and let's be thankful that we had the reunion even if our children won't remarry." Lucille added with a smile. The four of them sat in stony silence feeling half happy and half sad.

~***~

The Evans invited the Boltons for dinner and so Troy and Sharpay sat beside each other across their children in the huge dining room. The night was full of talk, mostly about how the trip went. Sharpay ranted about the plan and everyone acted surprised to and Troy discreetly gave his daughter a you-owe-me look.

After dinner, everyone settled in the veranda for some desert and enjoy the night. When everyone was settled, Sharpay beckoned to Troy who went over to her. The other tried not to eavesdrop or glance but Sharpay merely took his arm and led him to the sprawling garden.

"We need to talk," she whispered and he nodded.

~***~

After what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, given the suspense, everyone saw the couple emerging from the darkness of the garden and into the veranda. The ambience suddenly changed and the tension doubled as Sharpay stood to address them.

Everyone waited in bated breath and watched Sharpay patiently waiting for them to settle down. Troy sat beside his daughter and watched her too, his face unreadable.

"I know you all expect me and Troy to be together, to be remarried and everything," she started looking at everyone in the eye and taking a deep breath, wanting for her to continue…

"But he and I talked about it, and agreed that it won't happen. We're both not ready for anything this big again…I'm sorry."

* * *

**Ta-dum!**

**_Short chapter, HUGE plot twist!!! I know right?! Wahahaha!!! _:D**

Tell me: what do you think?! This is fun.. :D But my heart's not made of stone; somewhere, somehow... there _can _be a happy ending for the both of them!


	13. Chapter 13

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter XIII**

After the mind-numbing, spine-chilling and heartbreaking statement of the biggest actress in Broadway, the only reaction Sharpay Evans received was the look of utter sadness in everyone's faces.

The shock has settled and everybody seemed to ignore her, which made Sharpay irritated. Troy just sat on the chair and stared blankly into space, not joining the commotion that was starting among the other people in the veranda.

"Oh, and I was ready to move…" muttered Ryan to no one in particular, shaking his head.

"No winter wedding?!" gasped his mother who was being comforted by Vance.

"I'm outta here." Jacob said loudly and stomped all the way to his room.

"Well, I told her." Lucille whispered to her husband with a sad smile but Jack looked at his son with concern. Troy's eyes were glistening and his daughter shared the same look he had.

"Troy, are you alright son?" he asked approaching father and daughter. Lucille stopped Jack and just kissed her son's cheek and ushered her husband into the house.

"I thought it was alright between the two of you." Savannah whispered, tears running down her cheeks as she held her father's motionless hand. Sharpay tried to approach her daughter but Savannah only gave her a death glare making her mother freeze on the spot. _Now I know what it feels_, she thought glumly.

"Yeah, I thought so too." Troy finally spoke up and stood walking past Sharpay with his daughter in tow.

Sharpay was left standing with her parents who couldn't even look at her in the eye. She sat across them in uncomfortable silence wishing they would talk, or at least glance her way. Feeling like a teenager who did something major, she huffed and was about to leave when her father held her hand and made her sit back down.

"Why?" he asked simply, not looking at her, his voice hollow and pained.

"Come now Daddy, we're not ready." Sharpay replied exasperatedly as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh both of you – or rather, _one _of _you_?" her mother said pointedly as she crossed her arms and looked her daughter in the eye.

"What makes you think Troy Bolton's ready, mother?" Sharpay snapped with a frown.

"He was never a mysterious lad, it's very blatant that he wanted you back," she snapped back.

"After what he's done to me?" she hissed while Derby only snorted.

"Saving you from a raging bear?" she replied with a raised eyebrow. Sharpay was shocked that her mother knew what went down between her and Troy in the woods. Apparently, she was updated enough…

"Sharpay, would you want him to take it slow?" Vance asked, trying to be logical.

"What do you mean slow? As in dating? But we'll be miles apart, how can that be?" she refuted. Her father was taken aback and he frowned at her, "So what will happen between the two of you?"

"The kids will stay at me, see each other every weekend and such, I'll arrange it back at New York." Sharpay explained with a smile.

"I have to agree with your mother on this one, either one of you is not ready," he said looking pointedly at her.

"What?! Daddy are you seriously implying that I marry him?" she cried petulantly.

"It just seems sensible enough, after all, you still love him…" he reasoned and his daughter rolled her eyes once again.

"I…" but then she stopped. Yes, she loves him, so?

"What's holding you back?" her father asked, taking her hand and stroking it. Sharpay gulped as she racked her brains for an answer, which was already there, and her heart for the courage to say it.

"I'm not sure I can do this," she finally blurted and burst into tears.

"The whole remarriage?" her mother asked but Sharpay furiously shook her head.

"I'm not sure if I can commit myself and start loving again," she sighed dramatically.

"This is seriously whacked," her father muttered shaking his head.

"Please, just give me some time and space, I need to know what to do with the situation I'm in right now." Sharpay said sobbing and her parents, not knowing what else to do, wrapped her in a comforting embrace.

~***~

With the whole drama downstairs, another drama was simultaneously unfolding upstairs. Troy and his children were holed up in Jacob's room all looking very melancholic. Savannah lay her head on her father's lap while her brother just lay on the other side; their father in the middle.

"What did she tell you?" Savannah asked and her father just grunted.

"The same thing she told all of you, except with more detail... and hand gestures," he answered.

"What about us?" Jacob asked indicating his sister and him. Troy sighed sadly, and his son seemed to understand.

"Unfair…" his daughter whined hugging her father tighter as she buried her head on the crook of his neck. Troy wrapped his arms around her and stroked her back.

"I know," he whispered kissing the top of her head. Jacob remained motionless.

"I can't believe she can be so stubborn," he seethed and Troy put a hand on his shoulder.

"Son, you can't expect everything to go your way, but in the end, things will work out just fine," he said while trying in vain to believe all that he'd said.

"Not this time," his son still continued seething. He was muttering darkly about his mother and his sister finally punched his shoulder.

"Hey! I too want this as much as you do but this is the situation we're in and you don't see me wallow in self-pity or whatever it is your doing." Savannah snapped.

"Yeah, 'coz you're too busy crying your eyes out," he grumbled. Troy rolled his eyes and tried to stop the bickering from being a full-blown quarrel.

"Hey both of you: stop it! Look, this is hard for all of us, but we have to stay positive ok? Jacob, don't start sassing your mother, she may not make the greatest decisions of all time but be grateful she loves you and wants to see you happy even if she couldn't find her own happiness." Troy said in an authoritative voice. His daughter nodded silently and Jacob just sighed but nodded anyway.

"You're right Dad," he mumbled.

After the whole drama, the Boltons took their leave and got ready to go back to California as did the Evans who were going back to New York. Now the smile that used to grace everyone's faces was gone and replaced with solemn looks.

~***~

The two families met at the airport as they waited for their respective flights. Nobody talked and Sharpay went off to get some coffee and relieve the tension building and to escape the glares everyone seemed to shoot at her every minute.

Troy watched her leave and told his daughter to call him if Abe landed already. He got up and followed Sharpay, finding her in the nearest Starbucks. She ordered coffee and was beckoned by Troy who was waiting for her. She sighed and sat across him.

"Are you really serious about this?" he quietly asked and she rolled her eyes taking a sip of her coffee.

"Does it look like I'm joking?" she snapped and he shook his head.

"C'mon Pay, stop toying with my emotions here!" he snapped back a bit too loudly. Some people started staring; they waited awhile for the eyes to stop lingering.

"As I said, _we _aren't ready for this!" she hissed and Troy just rolled his eyes.

"I'm turning forty next year, I'm not 24 anymore – how _not_-ready can I still be?" he said.

"I don't know, we still aren't." Sharpay said in a monotone.

"I sure as hell am, so don't drag me into this 'we' you're talking about." Troy spat angrily.

"Are you saying that you think that _I'm _the one who isn't ready?!" she hissed.

"If you weren't, we'd be hitched right now!" he insisted as she rolled her eyes.

"Why did you skip the dating part?" she challenged and he snorted.

"Yeah, like you've changed so much in the past fourteen years that I hardly know you and have to be re-acquainted," he said sarcastically.

"You hardly know me _at all_," she corrected getting irritated.

"I know you well enough to say that one of you're most prominent characteristics is being very stubborn," he said plainly and she huffed, "And scared to retry things or experiences that hurt you, even if you got the whole world at your back supporting you. You also love all the drama we're in and your using it to your advantage so you would have the leisure of crawling into your own ball and just remain neutral - even when you know that it couldn't last forever. You will wait, until the very last minute, before you do something. That can be my death for your information."

Sharpay became really irritated, he knew her that well and he managed to shut her up. Well, she never liked not being able to have the last word.

"Bolton, Bolton, Bolton, stop assuming." Sharpay argued but deep inside knew that he could see past her and by the look on his face, he could tell she was bluffing.

"Fine then, Evans, if you want it that way," he said simply and got up and started walking away.

"What does that mean?" she growled and he turned back to her.

"Evans, Evans, Evans," he mimicked and Sharpay cringed, "Stop pretending."

He walked away and she watched him mouthing wordlessly. Going back to her brother and son, the three of them got on the plane on the way to New York. Troy and Savannah were picked up by Abe who was going to take them back to California.

~***~

A day has passed and life was slowly going back to the old routine. Sharpay opened her laptop and logged on to check if she had any mails. There was an offer for her to play Juliet at the local theater and she considered it for a moment. Something inside her told her to take things slow and so on that same day, she accepted the role.

* * *

Ok, this is supposed to be the other half of the last chapter but I really wanted to put in the plot twist as a cliffie! So, maybe about one more chapter and an epilogue. I've decided to write a happy ending, yey!

The part where Sharpay plays Juliet is vital, in case you start to wonder...

Oh yeah, thank you _troypazash _for the line "stop toying with my emotions!" I couldn't get over it in your last review and I reread it a lot of times and decided to quote you. :D


	14. Chapter 14

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter XIV**

The Manhattan Theater received a full house that night. It was just a classic Romeo and Juliet but the actors were Sharpay Evans and Michael Williams! Broadway fans flocked the local theater and there was a craze in buying tickets. The night was young and the ticket booth had a sign that said 'SOLD OUT.'

A cab screeched into a halt in front of the fully packed building and the man stumbled out of the vehicle. He threw _a hundred bucks _to the wide-eyed driver and rushed to the ticket booth. There was no one except the confounded sign. The man became very frustrated and began throwing a tantrum. It was a one-night only show, as he was informed and if he didn't do it tonight, he wouldn't have the heart to do it again.

The driver watched this man who flagged him from the New York airport and made him push his little cab to the limit just so he could come here. He shut the engine and got out of the cab going to the side entrance of the theater. He found no guard and hurriedly dragged the livid man kicking and screaming to the alternate entrance. The man stopped his anger fit and looked at the driver who only saluted, "Welcome to New York," he said smiling.

The angry man nodded dumbly and went inside.

~***~

Upon the stage stood the elegantly designed and famous balcony scene from Shakespeare's classic love tragedy. A dashing man below the balcony advanced forward and was looking at the lovely woman who was staring at the stars, which were actually Christmas lights dangling from the stage. He approached a bit closer, hiding behind a hedge…

"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?  
It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!  
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon  
Who is already sick and pale with grief…"

The man wearing stockings continued his line, captivating the audience as they watched with anticipation, although many already know what would happen. Juliet spoke and Romeo was filled with joy along with his own anticipation as he waits for more lines. Then, she said it.

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?  
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;  
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,  
And I'll no longer be a Capulet."

Romeo was debating with himself, still hiding behind the hedge, still mesmerized at Juliet…

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"

Juliet looked out into the audience dreamily and flourished her arm…

"Tis but thy name that is my enemy.  
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.  
What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,  
Nor arm, nor face nor any other part belonging to a man.  
O, be some other name!  
What's in a name? That which we call a rose  
By any other word would smell as sweet.  
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,  
Retain that dear perfection which he owes  
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name;  
And for thy name, which is no part of thee,  
Take all myself."

And then Michael Williams said the last lines that he would be able to for that night…

"I take thee at thy word.  
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;  
Henceforth I never will be Romeo."

Juliet looked surprised at the sudden interruption and she was dramatizing her surprise so well she did not notice that another man dragged Romeo kicking and screaming but otherwise muffled, off the stage and take his place.

"What man art thou, that, thus bescreened in night,  
So stumblest on my counsel?"

Troy, who was holding a script, read the next lines…

"By a name  
I know not how to tell thee who I am.  
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself  
Because it is an enemy to thee.  
Had I it written, I would tear the word."

Sharpay's jaw dropped open as she recognized the voice who belonged to none other than,

"Troy Bolton?!" she cried, eyes wide as she stared at her ex-husband who grinned goofily up at her.

"Yes my lady?" he inquired with that goofy grin and spread his arms wide as if tempting her to jump. Sharpay crossed her arms across her chest and gave him a death glare from above.

"What happened to my Romeo?" she snapped, forgetting about the audience who could see and hear what was happening and no doubt, would let the world know too.

"I am your Romeo!" he continued with that crazy grin and the audience laughed.

"Troy Bolton you are **not **in my show!" she yelled and stomped her foot.

"I'm crashing it! The _real _Romeo has something important to say to his _real_ Juliet," he said with a pouty face and the audience went, "Awww."

"Get out of here!" she yelled and the audience went a bit wild, some got up and insisted that she talk to the guy.

"Oh!" Sharpay's face scrunched in annoyance, "Fine!" she yelled and the audience settled down.

"What?" she snapped and glared at Troy who scratched the back of his neck.

"Wow, give me a sec… I don't know what to say yet…" he grinned sheepishly.

"Oh that's really nice, Bolton." Sharpay said sarcastically, hands on her hips, but nonetheless waited for him.

"Hey, I never thought I'd get this far." Troy shrugged and the audience laughed again.

"Out with it, just start your speech!" she cried, already impatient and a pregnant silence engulfed the whole place, "Or lack thereof," she added as an afterthought.

"Alright, here it goes," he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I crashed your show – because I love you, but you already know that," some laughed, "I love you, and I want to be with you! Yeah, that's about it…" he looked thoughtful for a while.

"I've dreamt of this moment, along with Savannah, where you'll accept me and make us a whole again and I thought that you will, back in the forest. I was about to freaking propose when we got back you know… I already bought a ring." The audience went 'awww' again and Sharpay just rolled her eyes.

"But you said you weren't ready and then it came down to this. When will you be ready?!" he yelled the last part, so immersed in his own monologue and he didn't mean to raise his voice. Sharpay finally had the nerve to talk back and she snapped her fingers bringing everyone's attention to her.

"What is it with me, that you can't just move on Troy?" she snapped.

"I don't know Sharpay! If I had the will to move on I wouldn't be here, but I can't! It would never be the same again – why do you always have to contradict everything?!" he cried exasperated.

"Because I'm Sharpay Evans," she replied simply.

"That's not good enough, if you ask me the same question, I'll tell you 'I'm Troy Bolton' and you'll feel pissed nonetheless. So tell me Juliet, what's Romeo got that you don't want to be with him?" Troy said angrily. Sharpay just sighed and sat on the railing of the balcony.

"The courage to pursue his fleeing Juliet," she mumbled but they all heard.

"Yeah, a very stubborn Juliet," he agreed and the audience laughed.

"Tell me, Troy, why you chose a tragic story between star-cross'd lovers?" she asked sweetly.

"I don't know, maybe because we are?" he replied just as sweet.

"We're a tragedy?" she gasped, dramatically putting a hand over her mouth and feigning surprise.

"No, just star-cross'd," he answered, "But the tragedy behind it was that we almost didn't make it, I was so blind in highschool! Then we did, and I got kicked out. After fourteen years I get another chance, but now I'm one step away from letting you go - again. Sharpay Evans, you just keep slipping through my fingers!"

"Oh my, did it ever occur to you that my element is water?"

"Well, you gave me a whole new perspective on why they called you 'Ice Queen'. Maybe if I say 'freeze' you'd actually stay put?"

"Oh how funny, seriously, why do you want me back?"

"C'mon Pay, do you seriously think I'll let you go without a fight?"

"Uhh… yes? Duh!"

"Then you don't know me at all…"

"Tut, tut, Bolton…"

"That's all you can come up with?"

"Well what else do you want me to say?"

"How about 'you are right,'" he put the back of his hand on his forehead and bending backward slightly, "'How could I not see – that we are meant to be?!'" the audience laughed. Sharpay snorted and rolled her eyes.

"That's nice, but no, I'm sorry." Sharpay smiled and Troy frowned pacing around the stage scratching the back of his neck. Realizing that he was still holding the script, he flipped through it while Sharpay watched him curiously.

"O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?" he said and she seemed to consider his words.

"What satisfaction canst thou have to-night?" she replied knowing what he would say.

"The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine." Troy told her with another one of his grins.

"Yeah, in your dreams." Sharpay scoffed and laughed but stopped at the look of pain in his eyes.

"Then I would wish with all my heart that I am dreaming," he said in a choked voice.

"You'll never stop, won't you?" she questioned looking down at him.

"What does it look like?" he bantered.

"Romeo, dearest Romeo, you do not deserve your Juliet." Sharpay told him sadly.

"There is no other Juliet I'd rather have," he insisted, tears starting to fall.

"But I'm _scared _Troy! I'm freaking terrified!" she cried out and started to whimper.

"About _what _exactly?!" he cried from below.

"Being with you! You know what an overly dramatic and scheming bitch I can be, how can you ever stand that Mr. God-made-me-perfect-super-hotty-bum Troy Bolton?!" she yelled.

"Love conquers all." Troy answered simply. Sharpay's jaw dropped.

"_That's all_?!" she cried incredulously.

"Yep," he answered with a smile.

"Speechless much?" she snapped indignantly and he shrugged.

Troy had had enough of their banter and he knew he wouldn't be able to get through Sharpay staying on the ground (the stage). So he did what Romeo did and climbed the balcony landing in front of a shocked Sharpay.

"And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget,  
Forgetting any other home but this."

Sharpay answered him as if by instinct which was imbibed by the many productions she's had and countless nights of rehearsal, at home and with the other actors.

"'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone:  
And yet no further than a wanton's bird;  
Who lets it hop a little from her hand,  
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,  
And with a silk thread plucks it back again,  
So loving-jealous of his liberty."

Troy glanced at his script and advanced towards Sharpay.

"I would I were thy bird." Sharpay noticed their close proximity but answered nonetheless,

"Sweet, so would I:  
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.  
Good night, good night!  
Parting is such sweet sorrow,  
that I shall say good night till it be morrow." Troy chuckled and shook his head.

"There is no tomorrow, only tonight," he corrected, "And forever with me, you, Savannah and Jacob in our overly dramatic happily ever after," he added and with that, kissed her with all his might.

Sharpay stood there in shock but started to kiss him back after a while. The standing ovation they received was met with more kissing as the two stood oblivious to the world around them. They pulled away after what seemed an eternity.

"Wait here." Troy instructed and went out down leaving a breathless Sharpay.

He went center stage and gestured the lighting crew to focus two spotlights on him and on Sharpay. When the lights were on him, he bent down on one knee and took out a small velvet box. He looked up at Sharpay who was watching him wide-eyed as he opened the box in front of her, finally letting go of the script.

"Hey Juliet, marry me?" he asked her playfully with a smile.

After his proposal, his face fell since Sharpay just disappeared from her balcony to the backstage.

Troy stood up dejectedly after his proposal and was about to turn away when he glanced up one last time and saw, to his surprise, Sharpay standing in front of him.

"You're not about to walk away are you?" she asked with a pout.

"I thought you were gonna say no," he mumbled.

"Well, I'd rather say yes!" she said brightly and Troy stood dumfounded.

"I love you," he managed to say before meeting her lips in a passionate kiss as the curtains fell.

* * *

And that's how vital the role of Juliet is!

This is _pure _drama! I wanted to end Sharpay-style, you know, since Troy couldn't get her the conventional way...  
So he just had to be as dramatic as the Drama Queen herself! I know it's all cheesy and stuff but desperate times call for desperate measures!

Ok, so I just added a few more stuff in my author's note, oh well... A friend witnessed me writing this chapter and asked if I came up with the lines of Romeo and Juliet, I laughed. I told her I got this from the internet...  
Something happened to me today, coincidence, I think. This morning I was browsing the site of Zac Efron (I'm not a huge fan or whatever, just a little research) and there was a link on facts about Zac. I was reading it and came upon this line, Zac says his house is, "where his heart is." It was funny since - it kinda meshed with my title?! It was my first time to visit that site and my jaw dropped when I read that! It was like, "Whoa!" just wanted to share... :)

I hope you like it!

Should I still plough on with an epilogue?


	15. Chapter 15

**Home is Where the Heart Lives**

**Chapter XV**

**Epilogue **

"Savannah, we are going to be late!"

Sharpay Bolton née Evans stood behind the door that led to her daughter's hotel room. She was already dressed as she paced angrily, waiting for her daughter to open the door. She heard her daughter's voice through the wood asking for another minute.

"What do you mean _another minute_?! Your own wedding starts in _another minute _and you are still there in your room! I don't know what you are doing but Nigel is not going to wait forever there by the altar, he'll think you stood him up or something…" came Sharpay's irritated reply.

"I was trying to calm myself down Mom, besides, there's nothing wrong with being fashionably late." Savannah smirked as she walked out of the room in a beautiful wedding gown. Sharpay frowned at her daughter who smiled back and walked to the elevators.

"You were in there for _two hours_, Savannah. Fashionably late is arriving thirty minutes after an event starts, you took two hours." Sharpay scolded as her daughter tried to stifle a laugh.

"What's so funny?" her mother snapped and Savannah burst out laughing all the way to the lobby. She calmed down as the elevator doors slid open and she walked out amidst all the paparazzi and hotel guests who were staring at her and taking pictures (in the paparazzi's case).

It was the biggest news in show business. Savannah Bolton, award-winning actress, daughter of the Lakers most formidable coach, Troy Bolton and the most dazzling Broadway actress, Sharpay Evans-Bolton is getting married to the famous novelist, Nigel Carter. People were speculating how the two got together since many thought that Savannah would marry one of her hot co-stars in her many movies.

Sharpay and Savannah walked hand in hand to the waiting limousine in front of the Tipton hotel and was escorted inside by Troy. He smiled at his daughter before going inside himself and shutting the door close. The limo started to pull away when Sharpay faced her daughter and continued her scolding.

"There is nothing funny about what I said Savannah," she said sternly but her daughter ignored her and also continued her laughing fit. Troy looked over at his wife and daughter and raised an eyebrow.

"What's the matter?" he asked sweetly. Sharpay gave him a look before going into a detailed description of how late her daughter was as Savannah rolled her eyes and tried to calm herself.

"It's understandable." Troy said and Sharpay gave him a cold glare, he shrugged.

"How can you say that?" she hissed but her husband only held her hand across their daughter's lap.

"I think I have an idea why Sav finds this all funny," he assured her and nodded to his daughter.

"Daddy has a point. If I took two hours you took a whole day getting married, remember?" she looked mischievously at her mother, "Oh wait! If it weren't for me and Jacob, you _would've _taken all day!" she added.

"Yeah, I thought you weren't gonna show up." Troy said reminiscing…

It was a day just like this…

~***~

"_Sharpay, darling, what is taking you so long?" a very worried Derby called from the other side of her daughter's bedroom in their huge mansion in Albuquerque._

"_I can't get my make-up right!" she replied and continued on her task. She was still in her bathrobe and made no signs of hurrying up._

"_You're supposed to be in your wedding gown right now," her mother told her sternly._

"_Watters' Reynosa could wait for me, I mean it's just there in my closet," she said and her mother sighed._

"_But can Troy Bolton wait any longer?" she said pointedly and heard the brief stopping of activities in the room._

"_He waited for nearly fifteen years, rather his whole life, what's ten minutes, or an hour, more?" her daughter asked._

"_I don't know, but surely it would be something that would test his patience to breaking point." Derby answered._

"_Let him wait mother, I'll be there." Sharpay called out and resumed on whatever she was doing._

"_Alright, but I'm sure he doesn't know that…" her mother whispered and pulled out her phone._

"_Mother?" her son's voice came through on the other end._

"_Ducky, please inform everyone that your sister has not gotten her make-up…" a thud made Derby back away from the door._

"_Mother! Just tell them I'll be there!" called out her daughter in shrill voice._

"_Keep it down kitten or your brother won't hear me," she called back and stifled her laughter._

"_Well, tell them she'll be late in a while," her mother instructed, "Because she couldn't get her make-up right," she whispered this part and mother and son laughed._

_Meanwhile…_

"_Ryan, where's your sister and your mother?" a man called out and Ryan spun around to face his father._

"_Sharpay's having problems with her make-up," he explained and watched his father laugh._

"_Dear me, my daughter would only have it smudged in a few hours, why be perfect?" he muttered and Ryan, who caught its implication, raised an eyebrow._

"_Wow Dad – I always thought you were protective of Sharpay," he mused._

"_Son, I know what couples tend to do during their honeymoon night, why be conservative?" he joked and both men laughed._

"_Speaking of honeymoons and marriage, you're nearly forty as well, how come your not tied down yet?" his father asked suspiciously._

"_I'm gay." Ryan said simply and the look on Vance Evans face was priceless. From the intimidating and proud look he has it became… indescribable. _

"_I'm joking," he quickly assured his father who let out a huge 'ha' and clutched his chest._

"_Actually, I met up with Kelsi, remember her?" he said excitedly as his father rubbed his chin._

"_Ah yes! The pianist during one summer!" he cried and Ryan nodded._

"_She came back to New York and we met. She went to Europe after Julliard and was a big hit there." Ryan continued to explain._

_Troy sat nervously on the pew and Chad sat down beside him. The church was buzzing with people who were starting to bet impatient. Savannah and Jacob took off to look for their uncle as did Vance while Troy's parents tried to keep everyone occupied with small talk._

"_How long are we gonna wait here? This tuxedo is killing me!" he complained._

"_I have no idea." Troy answered lifelessly trying to fight the sinking feeling in his stomach._

"_C'mon dude! Be positive, I'm sure she's just trying to look her best, you know how women are. I mean, Taylor takes the whole day preparing _herself _when we have guests over." Chad momentarily forgot his own problem to help his bestfriend but the words he chose were a tad careless._

"_Excuse me?" both men froze in their seats and turned around. Taylor was glaring at her husband and Troy was about to excuse himself when Chad clapped a hand on his shoulder effectively making his chances of escape nil. He grinned at his wife._

"_I'm just trying to comfort him, babe, you know me…" he drawled, trying to be suave._

"_Oh puh-leez, like that will help you." Taylor snapped and Chad chuckled nervously._

"_I was trying to comfort Troy in 'man-terms' honey," he tried and Taylor rolled her eyes._

"_Maybe we switch positions and _you _make sure our children don't go missing," she said and prodded his chest. Chad immediately obeyed and his seat was now occupied by his wife._

_Troy gave her a scared look which she returned with a smile. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair but Taylor stopped him._

"_You wouldn't want it messed up before honeymoon," she kidded._

"_Is she going to come?" he asked in a scared voice and Taylor nodded._

"_Sure she would, don't be so hard on yourself. Or hold on to negative thoughts for that matter," she said and Troy nodded gratefully._

_Jacob sighed and closed his eyes. He could just picture out his mother trying to see if she looked 'fabulous' enough as the clocked ticked by. Savannah was pacing back and forth in front of him wringing her hands._

"_What is taking her so long?!" she finally screamed but her brother remained motionless. Sixteen years with his mother made him immune to outbursts like this and he could stand there without flinching as they continued their tirades._

"_I bet Mom is still wondering if her diamond earrings would go with the dress or her pearls…" he answered softly. His sister came to a halt and stood glowering before him, but he did not see her, yet he knew._

"_Pearls!" his sister yelled and stomped her foot._

"_Apparently not for Mom," he sighed and she continued pacing._

"_Let's go." Savannah said and walked off. Jacob was immediately beside her trying to keep pace._

"_Uh, where?" he asked as she started to jog, pink dress billowing about._

"_Home," she answered curtly and the two were suddenly hurtling through the parking lot. Ten seconds later, skid marks were all that was left of Ryan Evans' car and he stood there watching his convertible being driven off by his niece with his nephew in the passenger's seat. _

_Savannah bolted to her mother's bedroom and stopped when she saw her grandmother sitting on a chair across the door. She approached and Derby looked up to see her granddaughter. _

"_What is taking Mom so long?" Savannah asked out of breath._

"_She wouldn't listen, I told her that the pearls would go with the dress." Derby answered glumly._

_Sharpay was debating with herself when she heard banging on her door and opened it to reveal her daughter looking very ill-tempered. Savannah stormed in immediately followed by Jacob and their mother closed the door, confused._

"_Pearls." Savannah said in a final tone and her brother nodded._

"_Are you sure?" Sharpay asked._

"_Yeah, if you want to get married on time." Jacob answered and his mother sighed._

"_Oh fine! It was the only thing left for me to put on…" she muttered. Savannah's jaw dropped._

"_You mean you've been ready for hours???" she blurted and her mother shook her head._

"_How long has it been already?" she asked innocently and her children shared a look._

"_Five hours?" her son answered and all of a sudden things became a blur of colors and yelling as everyone rushed back to the church._

_Finally everything was at a go and Sharpay was now walking down the aisle, clutching her father's arm like there was no tomorrow. Vance smiled through gritted teeth, his daughter's clutch was more of a death grip and it was painful._

_The vows were exchanged and finally, Troy and Sharpay kissed as man and wife once again. Everybody clapped while Savannah and Jacob pulled faces of disgust. Seeing their parents kiss was still yucky…_

~***~

The three were brought back from their reverie as the limo pulled into a stop in front of the church. The guests were still milling around in front and everybody greeted the fashionably late bride. The wedding was beautiful and so was the reception then the couple took off on their honeymoon. Troy and Sharpay took the limo back to their mansion in Los Angeles while Jacob drove back home to his family.

The couple entered the now-empty mansion and Sharpay went up to the bedroom while Troy went outside and sat down on one of the wooden benches in his backyard. Sharpay joined him after a while with coffee and held his hand.

"I have a lot of things to be thankful for." Troy told her.

"Yeah, like what?" Sharpay asked him.

"There's just so much, but I'll tell you what's on top of my list," he faced her.

"And that's…?" she prompted.

"You," he answered before leaning in for a kiss.

* * *

Finally! :)

It took a really long time for me to think of a fitting epilogue, but that works, don't you think? Maybe I'll make a companion fic with Ryelsi, not sure. Please review! :D

Finally all the drama is finished...


End file.
